NBA: Kawhi Leonard, James Harden carry Clippers past Hornets

Kawhi Leonard scored 19 of his 35 points in the third quarter, and James Harden added 32 points and 10 assists as the Los Angeles Clippers continued their hot streak with a 117-109 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday in Inglewood, California.

Jordan Miller contributed 14 points, while Ivica Zubac added nine points and 11 rebounds as the Clippers improved to 10-2 since starting the season 6-21. Leonard notched his sixth 30-point game in the last 12 contests.

For the Hornets, LaMelo Ball scored 25 points, and rookie Kon Knueppel added 18. Moussa Diabate posted 13 points and 15 rebounds, while Brandon Miller also had 13 points. Charlotte suffered their sixth loss in nine games and fell to 1-1 on a five-game road trip, allowing 100 points for just the second time in six games.

The Hornets led 100-99 with 7:18 remaining after a three-pointer from Tre Mann. The Clippers surged ahead on three consecutive 3-pointers—one by Miller and two by Harden—to take a 108-100 lead with 5:58 left. A layup from Harden and a dunk from Kobe Sanders pushed Los Angeles’ lead to 112-101 with 4:33 remaining. Leonard capped the decisive 15-1 run with a jumper at 3:16, extending the lead to 114-101.

Harden went 3 of 11 from 3-point range, and Leonard shot 5 of 9 as the Clippers finished 36.7% (18 of 49) from beyond the arc. Harden also moved into ninth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, surpassing Shaquille O’Neal.

The Clippers took a 45-43 lead after a defensive-minded first half in which both teams shot under 40% from the floor. Los Angeles held the edge despite making only 32.6% of their shots in the first two quarters, with Harden scoring 13 and Leonard 11.

—Field Level Media/Reuters