Leonard, Clippers Survive Late Scare to Hold Off Lakers in Battle of LA
In the NBA, it’s not always about how you start; it’s about how you finish. But for the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night at the Intuit Dome, it was about doing just enough to survive a finish that nearly slipped through their fingers.
Facing a Los Angeles Lakers squad desperate to snap a slump, the Clippers built a massive lead, watched it evaporate in a chaotic fourth quarter, and then finally found their footing in the closing minutes to secure a 112-104 victory. It wasn’t the wire-to-wire blowout that seemed inevitable at halftime, but it was the kind of gritty, resilient win that defines a team turning its season around.
With the victory, the Clippers have now won seven of their last eight games, continuing a scorching mid-season resurgence that feels light-years away from their dismal 6-21 start.
Kawhi Leonard Remains the Steady Hand
When the offense stagnated in the fourth quarter, and the Lakers cut the lead to a single possession, Tyronn Lue didn’t panic. He just put the ball in the hands of Kawhi Leonard.
Despite dealing with a left knee contusion that had his status in question leading up to tip-off, Leonard was nothing short of surgical. He finished with a team-high 24 points, marking his 23rd consecutive game scoring at least 20 points—a career-high streak that highlights just how dominant he has been since the calendar turned.
Leonard’s impact went beyond the box score. In the second quarter, when the Lakers threatened to make a run, Leonard anchored the second unit, pushing the tempo and stifling Luka Doncic defensively. It was Leonard’s bucket alongside James Harden and Ivica Zubac that helped spark the 15-0 run to open the third quarter, pushing the Clippers’ lead to a game-high 26 points. While the knee injury is something the training staff will monitor, Leonard’s refusal to sit out crunch time sent a clear message to the rest of the Western Conference: the Clippers are not folding.
Harden Makes History in the Backcourt
While Leonard provided the scoring punch, James Harden orchestrated the symphony. The veteran guard finished with a double-double, tallying 18 points and 10 assists. Perhaps more impressive was his defensive activity. Harden recorded two steals, officially surpassing Andre Iguodala for 20th place on the NBA’s all-time steals list.
Harden’s biggest moment, however, came when the momentum had completely shifted. After the Lakers’ Luka Doncic buried a 3-pointer to cap a 19-7 run that brought the Lakers within two points, the crowd at the Intuit Dome grew tense. Harden immediately responded with a cold-blooded 3-pointer of his own, sparking a decisive 10-0 run that finally put the game out of reach.
He wasn’t alone in supporting Leonard. Ivica Zubac was a monster in the paint, posting 18 points and grabbing a staggering 19 rebounds. His reverse dunk late in the fourth extended the lead to eight, serving as the exclamation point on a night where the Clippers dominated the glass and the paint.
Lakers Rally Falls Just Short
You have to give credit where it’s due: the Lakers refused to die. Down 26 points in the third quarter, most teams would have packed it in and looked ahead to the next city. Instead, led by the brilliance of Luka Doncic, they roared back.
Doncic was spectacular, finishing with 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. He was the engine behind a 19-7 run to close the third quarter and continued to terrorize the Clippers’ defense well into the fourth. LeBron James added 23 points, despite a quiet first half, and helped fuel the frantic comeback attempt that forced the Clippers starters back onto the floor.
However, the hole they dug in the first half proved too deep. The Lakers shot just 42% in the first two quarters compared to the Clippers’ blistering 59%, and that early deficit forced them to play near-perfect basketball down the stretch—something they couldn’t quite sustain against a veteran Clippers team.
What’s Next for the Clippers?
This win puts the Clippers at 20-24, inching them closer to .500 and solidifying their spot in the play-in conversation. After a season that looked lost in December, the vibe in Inglewood has completely shifted. The defense is locking in, the stars are healthy, and the role players like John Collins (who hit a crucial late 3-pointer) are buying in.
The Lakers (26-17) will look to bounce back as they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday—a game that will surely carry emotional weight for Doncic against his former team. Meanwhile, the Clippers will look to keep their hot streak alive when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
For now, the battle for Los Angeles belongs to the team in the Intuit Dome. It wasn’t perfect, but on Thursday night, it was enough.
