Kawhi Leonard, Norman Powell propel Clippers past Spurs

By RAUL DOMINGUEZ The Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO — Kawhi Leonard had his best game so far, and the Clippers dominated when it mattered most.

Leonard scored a season-high 27 points, Norman Powell scored the same and the Clippers rallied to beat the San Antonio Spurs, 128-116, dominating the final five minutes on Wednesday night.

Clippers center Ivica Zubac added 21 points and 22 rebounds in an intense battle with San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama.

Wembanyama had 23 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots for the Spurs, who have lost five of their past six games.

The Clippers led by two points after three back-and-forth quarters. After briefly surrendering the front on a Wembanyama step-back 3-pointer with 5:38 to play, the Clippers reeled off 17 of the next 19 points, with Leonard punctuating the run with a jumper with 2:20 left to make it 119-107. They cruised home from there, winning for the third time in their past four outings and for the seventh of their past 10.

Wembanyama and Zubac battled throughout with one exchange nearly leading to a skirmish with 4:45 remaining in the third quarter following a 3-pointer by Harrison Barnes and a Clippers timeout.

After being shoved to the court from behind by Zubac, Wembanyama got up and ran after the Clippers center but was held back by Spurs staff and players as they filed onto the court for the timeout. Zubac was visibly upset on the previous play, flailing his arms after no foul was called when his shot was blocked by Wembanyama. No technical foul was called and, after a brief discussion, officials opted not to review the play.

James Harden added 21 points, 11 assists and three steals (and six turnovers) for the Clippers (27-20). Leonard, who didn’t make his season debut until early January as he dealt with a knee injury, shot 11 for 19 from the field (2 for 4 from 3-point range) and had six rebounds and seven assists in a season-high 29 minutes. Powell shot 9 for 15 from the field (3 for 6 from behind the arc) and grabbed eight rebounds. Nicolas Batum added 12 points and five rebounds off the bench.

San Antonio rookie guard Stephon Castle had 20 points, Devin Vassell added 19 and Harrison Barnes scored 15.

The Clippers shot an efficient 12 for 24 from 3-point range, compared to 14 for 42 for the Spurs.

The Clippers took charge midway through the second period, using a 10-2 run capped by Harden’s 3-pointer at the 3:18 mark to turn a two-point lead into a 59-49 advantage. The Spurs trimmed the margin to five points on a pair of free throws by Vassell with 13 seconds remaining and went to the break down 65-60.

The Clippers extended their lead to 16 points on a Zubac jumper with 7:11 left in the third quarter. Keldon Johnson’s 3-pointer with 1:39 left in the third culminated a 20-4 run for San Antonio and gave the hosts a 90-89 lead, but the Clippers finished the period with a 5-2 spurt that gave them a 94-92 edge heading into the final quarter.

UP NEXT

The Clippers play at Charlotte on Friday at 4 p.m. PT.