Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points as the Los Angeles Clippers snapped a three-game losing streak with a convincing 137–117 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night in Inglewood, California.
The Clippers, currently 10th in the Western Conference, improved to 28–31 with the victory. Meanwhile, the Pelicans dropped to 19–43, remaining 13th in the conference standings.
Los Angeles controlled the game from the opening tip and never trailed. The Clippers built an early lead, going up 43–32 after the first quarter. They maintained the advantage at halftime with a 76–70 lead before extending it to 107–94 at the end of the third quarter. In the final period, Los Angeles pulled away even further, stretching the lead to as much as 26 points.
Jordan Miller provided a strong scoring boost with 19 points, while Derrick Jones Jr. added 17. Veteran center Brook Lopez contributed 16 points, and John Collins chipped in with 15 to round out a balanced offensive effort.
Although Leonard struggled from beyond the arc, making just 1 of 7 attempts from three-point range, the Clippers still excelled from deep overall. Los Angeles connected on 17 of 36 three-point attempts. Lopez went 4-for-6 from long distance, while Derrick Jones Jr. and Kobe Sanders each hit 3 of 4 from behind the arc.
The Pelicans were led by Jeremiah Fears, who scored 28 points and knocked down five of six three-pointers. Derik Queen finished with 19 points, Dejounte Murray added 17, and Trey Murphy III scored 16 in his return after missing five games due to a right shoulder injury.
Zion Williamson did not play after injuring his right ankle Saturday in Utah, ending his streak of 35 consecutive games played.
New Orleans next visits the Lakers on Tuesday, while the Clippers travel to Golden State on Monday night.
