Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the New York Knicks 126–118 on Monday night, climbing back to the .500 mark for the first time since early November.
Bennedict Mathurin added 28 points off the bench, including 22 in the second half, as the Clippers placed five players in double figures. Darius Garland contributed 23 points and seven assists in his second start for Los Angeles.
The win continued a strong start to March for the Clippers, who have won five of their first six games this month while fighting to improve their position in the Western Conference Play-In race. After opening the season with a 6–21 slump, Los Angeles now sits at 32–32.
Leonard also extended his scoring tear, recording his 42nd consecutive game with at least 20 points — the second-longest active streak in the NBA and the third-longest in franchise history.
Karl-Anthony Towns led New York with 35 points on 13-of-17 shooting while adding 12 rebounds and seven assists before fouling out in the closing seconds. Jalen Brunson finished with 28 points and OG Anunoby added 22.
Despite chants of “Let’s go Knicks!” echoing through Intuit Dome, New York couldn’t complete its comeback. The Knicks trimmed a 15-point deficit with a 17–9 run late in the third quarter, sparked by six straight points from Brunson, to pull within 88–81 entering the fourth.
New York closed within five points three times in the final four minutes, but Los Angeles sealed the game down the stretch behind a three-point play from Mathurin and a clutch three-pointer from Derrick Jones Jr..
The Clippers controlled much of the first half after opening the game with four straight three-pointers. Leonard and Towns traded scoring bursts late in the half, with Leonard scoring 10 straight for Los Angeles while Towns answered with eight consecutive points for New York. The Clippers carried a 64–55 lead into halftime.
The Knicks, who are third in the Eastern Conference, split the season series with the Clippers and have now lost three of their last four games. New York hasn’t beaten Los Angeles on the road since 2022.
Up next: New York visits the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, while the Clippers host the Minnesota Timberwolves the same night.
