James Harden scored 31 points and Kawhi Leonard added 26 as the Los Angeles Clippers rolled past the Brooklyn Nets 121–105 on Friday night.
Jordan Miller provided a big lift off the bench, making his first six shots and finishing with 21 points. John Collins added 16 for the Clippers, who rebounded from a loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday and improved to 8–2 over their last 10 games. Leonard, who was listed as questionable earlier in the day with a sprained right ankle, shook off a slow start and scored 19 of his points in the second half.
Rookie guard Egor Demin led Brooklyn with 19 points. The Nets were coming off a tough overtime loss on a buzzer-beater at Orlando on Wednesday, but Friday’s game was never in doubt.
Michael Porter Jr. finished with 18 points but struggled from long range, missing all nine of his 3-point attempts.
The Clippers set the tone early, scoring the first eight points of the game. After Nic Claxton’s two free throws, Harden scored six straight during an 8–0 burst that pushed the lead to 16–2. Demin hit a 3-pointer to end Brooklyn’s 0-for-8 start, but Los Angeles stayed hot, shooting 8 for 9 as Leonard and Harden extended the advantage to 21–5.
Los Angeles opened the second quarter with a 10–0 run, capped by a three-point play from former Net Brook Lopez, to make it 45–25. The Clippers led by as many as 22 before settling for a 63–47 halftime edge.
Brooklyn, which played four of its five first-round draft picks and frequently had a rookie on the floor, had trouble containing Harden. The three-time NBA scoring champion shot 10 for 13 from the field, and when the Nets sent extra defenders, he made them pay by finding open teammates, finishing with six assists.
The Nets made a brief push early in the third quarter, outscoring Los Angeles 11–4 to cut the deficit to single digits. Leonard answered with a 3-pointer, and the Clippers maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
Up next:
The Clippers visit the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, while the Nets continue their road trip at Memphis on Sunday.
