Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points for his second career triple-double, and the Los Angeles Clippers extended their winning run to three games with a 127-116 triumph against the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
Leonard added 11 rebounds and 10 assists, while teammate James Harden had 23 points and 10 assists.
Paul George, Terance Mann, and Norman Powell each scored 17 points, and Russell Westbrook added 16 as the Clippers won for the sixth time in seven games, moving to 20-4 since the beginning of December. One of those losses came against the Lakers on January 7.
Harden has scored at least 20 points in consecutive games for the third time since his Clippers debut on November 6, and the first time since December 2 and 6.
Leonard’s only other triple-double occurred on January 24, 2020, when he scored 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in the Clippers’ win against Miami.
D’Angelo Russell led the Lakers with 27 points and 10 assists, while Anthony Davis had 26 points and 12 rebounds. LeBron James was out due to left ankle pain. The Lakers are 5-6 during a run in which they play 11 of their 12 games in Los Angeles.
Jarred Vanderbilt and Austin Reaves each scored 12 points, while Taurean Prince and Rui Hachimura each had 11. The Lakers are 8-14 since winning the NBA mid-season tournament in early December.
The Clippers led by as much as 13 points in the third quarter and were up 108-97 going into the fourth. The Lakers closed to within two points twice, including 110-108 with 7:32 left after Russell blocked Harden on one end and Prince made a fastbreak layup.
The Clippers regained control with a 9-0 scoring run, propelled by Powell’s five points, to establish a 119-108 lead with 5:06 left and cruised to win from there.
Cam Reddish left the Lakers early in the fourth quarter after tripping on Harden’s foot and turning his right ankle.
The Clippers’ seven-game road trip begins Friday in Toronto. The Lakers will play the Chicago Bulls at home on Thursday before commencing a six-game road trip on Saturday against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco.
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