Clippers deal Nets 59-point thumping
INGLEWOOD, California—Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points, James Harden added 21 and the Los Angeles Clippers had the largest margin of victory in franchise history after routing the Brooklyn Nets, 126-67, on Wednesday night.
The Clippers broke the team margin mark of 50 against Oklahoma City on April 10, 2022. It also was the worst loss in Nets’ history, eclipsing a 52-point defeat to Houston on Oct. 18, 1978.
LA’s largest lead was 64 points midway through the fourth quarter, despite coach Tyronn Lue emptying his bench late in the third quarter.
Leonard logged a season-high 24 minutes as he took part in his fourth game since coming back from a knee injury.
Lakers snap skid
In Los Angeles, meanwhile, Rui Hachimura scored 23 points and Anthony Davis had 22 points and 11 rebounds as the Lakers snapped a three-game skid with a 117-108 victory over the Miami Heat.
LeBron James finished with 22 points and nine assists and Austin Reaves added 14 points and 14 rebounds as the Lakers won for the first time since having two games postponed due to the deadly wildfires in Southern California.
Tyler Herro shot 7-of-12 from three-point distance and scored 34 points for the Heat, who lost both games of a Los Angeles swing after falling to the Clippers on Monday. Haywood Highsmith and Nikola Jovic each scored 12 points.
Miami went 3-3 on its West Coast trip without Jimmy Butler, who has now completed his seven-game suspension for what the team called “conduct detrimental to the team.”
