LOS ANGELES — Paul George had 21 points and 10 assists, Kawhi Leonard added 17 points and the Los Angeles Clippers emerged from two inconsistent weeks with a 125-98 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.
Terance Mann scored 16 points and Lou Williams had 15 for the Clippers, who had seven scorers in double figures and went 23 for 23 from the free throw line during just their third win in eight games. Los Angeles bounced back from blowout losses to New Orleans and Dallas in the previous six days with an overwhelming effort against the Hornets, who lost their third straight.
Miles Bridges scored a season-high 21 points and Gordon Hayward added 17 for the Hornets, who took their worst defeat of the season for the second time in three games.
LaMelo Ball scored 13 points for Charlotte in the rookie sensation’s second straight game in his native Los Angeles area. Ball played extensively in the second half despite clearly struggling with discomfort in his right wrist, which appeared to injury in an early fall.
The Hornets are winless on their five-game road trip after losing three straight for the first time since Jan. 22. Charlotte, which lost by 25 in Denver to start its trip, hasn’t beaten the Clippers at Staples Center in 11 tries since February 2009.
George scored 12 points while staking the Clippers to a 17-point lead in the first quarter. Los Angeles kept a healthy margin for the rest of the night, allowing Leonard to rest in the fourth quarter.
TIP-INS
Hornets: Terry Rozier hit the 300th 3-pointer of his brief career in Charlotte, becoming the fastest player in Hornets history to reach the mark by doing it in just 102 games. He missed the final 15 minutes with a bruise on his left hip. … Bridges was drafted by the Clippers in 2018 and quickly traded to Charlotte. … P.J. Washington sprained his right ankle in the first half, but played extensively in the second half.
Clippers: Patrick Beverley missed his fourth straight game with right knee soreness, and Serge Ibaka sat out his third straight with lower back tightness. … Leonard has played in five straight games out of the All-Star break after missing eight games earlier in the season due to injuries. … Luke Kennard, the Clippers’ $64 million guard, didn’t play until garbage time after sitting out the last two games.
UP NEXT
Hornets: At Spurs on Monday.
Clippers: Host Hawks on Monday.
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