James Harden reached the milestone of 25,000 career points, contributing 28 points, 15 assists, and seven rebounds, while Kawhi Leonard posted 27 points and eight rebounds in the Los Angeles Clippers’ sixth consecutive triumph, a 121-113 victory over the struggling Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.
Norman Powell delivered 10 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter for the Clippers, who managed to secure their 11th win in 14 games despite the absence of Paul George, who missed his first game of the season due to a left hip injury suffered on Tuesday against Sacramento. The Clippers successfully fended off the Warriors’ late comeback attempt and maintained their perfect 5-0 home record in December.
Klay Thompson had a season-high 30 points, sinking eight 3-pointers for the Golden State Warriors, who concluded a winless 0-3 road trip and have now lost 12 of their last 16 games. Stephen Curry scored 17 points on 5-of-17 shooting as the Warriors began another stretch without Draymond Green, who is indefinitely suspended for an altercation on Tuesday.
Both teams adjusted their starting lineups due to key player absences, with the Warriors promoting Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski in place of Green and Andrew Wiggins, while Amir Coffey filled in for the injured George.
Podziemski, in his first career start, struggled with four points on 2-for-11 shooting, while Kuminga contributed 15 points in his second start of the season. Despite Thompson’s impressive performance with four 3-pointers in the third quarter, the Warriors faltered in the final stretch, with Curry and Thompson combining for a 1-for-7 shooting performance in the fourth quarter.
Chris Paul, facing his former team, scored 12 points for the Warriors and was assessed a Flagrant Foul 1 in the second quarter. The Warriors, currently on a seven-game road losing streak, have suffered two defeats to the Clippers this month.
Harden’s achievement of 25,000 points came in the late third quarter, marking him as the 24th player in NBA history to reach this milestone. Despite George’s rare absence due to injury, the Clippers have maintained overall good health this season, with Leonard playing in every game and adjusting to fit alongside both George and Harden.
