Los Angeles, LA – James Harden delivered a standout performance with 31 points and 10 rebounds, while Kawhi Leonard added 23 points to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a dominant 123-88 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night.
Ivica Zubac also contributed a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds. His two free throws at 5:43 remaining in the second quarter gave the Clippers a 45-34 lead, and they never looked back, maintaining a double-digit advantage the rest of the way.
Derrick Jones chipped in 12 points for the Clippers (38-30).
For the Hornets (17-50), Mark Williams posted a double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds, and LaMelo Ball scored 16 points.
Takeaways
- Hornets: After a high-scoring win over San Antonio (145-134) on Friday, Charlotte struggled to find its offensive rhythm. Despite their offensive explosion against the Spurs, the Hornets failed to reach 90 points for the ninth time this season.
- Clippers: Los Angeles has quietly won six of its last seven games, closing the gap to just five games behind Houston, Denver, and Memphis (all 43-25) for the second spot in the Western Conference.
Key Moment:
The Clippers seized control of the game with a 17-6 run, turning an 11-9 deficit into a 26-16 lead. Harden capped the run with a layup at the 1:43 mark of the first quarter.
Key Stat:
Harden (four 3-pointers) and Leonard (three 3-pointers) combined for seven made three-pointers, more than the Hornets’ entire team, who shot just 6-of-33 (18.2%) from beyond the arc.
Next Up:
The Hornets will host Atlanta on Tuesday, while the Clippers will welcome the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers to town on the same night.
