Kawhi Leonard Leads Clippers to 138-109 Victory over Kings with 26 Points
Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Sacramento Kings 138-109 on Sunday night. The win snapped a two-game skid and boosted the team’s playoff standing.
Game recap
Leonard poured in 13 points in the first quarter. The Clippers raced to a double-digit lead early and never trailed.
John Collins added 25 points for Los Angeles. Darius Garland and Kobe Sanders each scored 17.
Los Angeles coasted in the second half against a Kings team wrapping up a difficult season. The final margin reflected the Clippers’ control.
Standings and playoff implications
The victory moved the Clippers into a tie for eighth place in the Western Conference with Portland. Four games remain on each team’s schedule.
The eighth seed will have two chances to reach the postseason via the play-in tournament. The result improved Los Angeles’ positioning for that path.
Kings notes
Devin Carter led Sacramento with 21 points while Nique Clifford added 18. Maxime Raynaud finished with 11 points and 16 rebounds.
That marked Raynaud’s 18th double-double of the season. It is the most double-doubles among rookies this year.
Sacramento had won its previous two games. The Kings remain tied with Utah at 21-58 with three games left.
The club is tied for the third-most losses in franchise history. Sacramento lost 59 games in 1989-90 and 65 in 2008-09.
Milestone
DeMar DeRozan scored nine points in 10 first-half minutes. That moved him past Oscar Robertson into 16th on the NBA career scoring list at 26,711 points.
DeRozan did not play in the second half. The brief appearance secured the milestone.
Up next
The Clippers host Dallas on Tuesday night. The Kings travel to face Golden State the same night.
This recap is provided by Filmogaz.com. Full box score details accompanied the game report.
