The Los Angeles Clippers have found the way to best employ their roster of talented players and will try to take another step forward in that learning curve when they square off against the host San Antonio Spurs for the second time in three nights on Wednesday.
The Clippers won the first of the teams’ mini-set 124-99 on Monday behind a balanced attack that saw a half-dozen players score in double figures. Paul George led the way with 28 points while Kawhi Leonard added 21, and Norman Powell and Daniel Theis hit for 19 apiece off the bench for the Clippers.
James Harden poured in 13 points and dished out 10 assists, with Russell Westbrook netting 10 points and Ivica Zubac grabbing 11 rebounds for Los Angeles.
The Clippers have won two straight games after a six-game losing streak and are 2-5 with Harden in the lineup after he was traded from Philadelphia earlier this month.
The Clippers took a 91-77 advantage into the final period but pushed aside any notion of a San Antonio comeback when George scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to expand Los Angeles’ lead to 21 points.
Los Angeles had just seven turnovers in the win, which Leonard cited as an indication the team is coming together and getting more comfortable with each other.
Monday’s win was Los Angeles’ sixth straight against the Spurs and the second this season over San Antonio.
The Spurs have dropped nine straight and have not won since Nov. 2, when they finished off a two-game sweep of the Suns in Phoenix. Keldon Johnson led San Antonio with 22 points in Monday’s loss, while Cedi Osman had 17, Zach Collins 12, Tre Jones 11 and Malaki Branham 10.
Rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama had nine points on 4-of-12 shooting for San Antonio, which played without Devin Vassell for the third straight game because of an adductor strain.
Despite the loss and his team’s growing losing streak, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich praised his players for their effort against the talented Clippers.
