The Los Angeles Clippers hope they’ve finally found a winning formula and look to employ it when they battle the struggling San Antonio Spurs on Monday in the first of two games between the teams in three nights in the Alamo City.
The Clippers head to San Antonio after a 106-100 win at home over Houston on Friday in an in-season tournament game.
James Harden scored 24 points, including a four-point play with six seconds remaining, and Los Angeles snapped a six-game losing streak. It was the Clippers’ first win in the six games that Harden has been with the team since being traded from Philadelphia.
Harden posted his second game of 20 or more points in a Clippers uniform, both in the past two outings.
Kawhi Leonard added 26 points while Paul George had 23. Ivica Zubac scored 12 points and Norman Powell had 10 as Los Angeles won for the first time in November and improved to 1-2 in the in-season tournament.
The Spurs are reeling after dropping eight straight games, including a 120-108 home loss to Memphis on Saturday. San Antonio led by 17 points at halftime but by only seven heading into the fourth, and then surrendered an 18-0 run midway through the quarter.
Keldon Johnson led the Spurs with 22 points while Victor Wembanyama added 19 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocked shots. Zach Collins and Jeremy Sochan each had 16 points and Cedi Osman scored 13 for San Antonio, which has not won since Nov. 2.
San Antonio shot 28.6 percent from the floor in the fourth quarter against Memphis on Saturday, did not go to the free-throw line and was outrebounded 12-8 over the final 12 minutes.
The Spurs rank last in the NBA in points allowed (124.2 per game) and opposing teams’ field-goal percentage (50 percent) while ranking next to last in opposing teams’ 3-point percentage (40 percent).
The Clippers have a five-game winning streak against San Antonio, including a 123-83 victory over the Spurs in Los Angeles on Oct. 29. San Antonio last beat the Clippers on Jan. 15, 2022.
