NBA roundup: Leonard, Clippers overtake Lakers

Kawhi Leonard had 35 points and 12 rebounds to lead the visiting Los Angeles Clippers to a come-from-behind, 111-106 win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday evening.

Montrezl Harrell scored 18 points off the bench, and Paul George had 17 points on 5-for-18 shooting for the Clippers, who are 2-0 against the Lakers this season.

With 3.6 seconds to go and the Clippers up by three, Patrick Beverley blocked a LeBron James 3-point attempt. George then made two free throws to seal the outcome.

Kyle Kuzma scored a season-high 25 points off the bench for the Lakers, who have lost four in a row. They hadn’t dropped consecutive games all season before the current skid. Anthony Davis scored 24 points, and James finished with 23 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.

Golden State Warriors 116 – Houston Rockets 104

Glenn Robinson III and Draymond Green each bombed in a pair of 3-pointers in a late flurry as Golden State rallied to stun Houston in San Francisco.

All five Golden State starters scored in double figures and the Warriors limited Houston to 16-of-51 shooting on 3-point attempts. Damion Lee paced the Warriors with 22 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Green and D’Angelo Russell went for 20 points apiece, Robinson added 18, and Willie Cauley-Stein scored 10. Green grabbed 11 boards.

The Rockets’ Russell Westbrook led all scorers with 30 points, but he shot just 11 of 32 overall and missed all eight of his 3-point attempts as Houston saw a four-game winning streak come to an end.

Philadelphia 76ers 121 – Milwaukee Bucks 109

Joel Embiid had 31 points and 11 rebounds — his seventh game this season with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds — to lift host Philadelphia past Milwaukee.

Ben Simmons had 15 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds for the Sixers, who won their third in a row and tied a franchise record with 21 made 3-pointers. Tobias Harris scored 22 points and went 5 of 7 from beyond the arc. Josh Richardson added 18 points, Furkan Korkmaz scored 16, and Al Horford had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 31 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo added 18 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, but he shot 8-for-27 and missed all seven 3-point attempts. George Hill scored 15 points for Milwaukee.

Boston Celtics 118 – Toronto Raptors 102

Jaylen Brown scored 30 points, and Boston ended Toronto’s 34-game home winning streak against Atlantic Division teams.

Kemba Walker added 22 points for the Celtics, who have won four in a row and have captured the first two games between the teams this season. The clubs meet again in Boston on Saturday.

The game was the first Christmas Day home game for the Raptors in their history. Fred VanVleet had 27 points for the Raptors, who have lost two in a row. Chris Boucher added a career-best 24 points, and Kyle Lowry contributed 14 points.

New Orleans Pelicans 112 – Denver Nuggets 100

Brandon Ingram had 31 points, sinking 7 of 9 shots from 3-point range, and visiting New Orleans beat Denver for its third win in four games immediately after a 13-game losing streak.

Jrue Holiday had 20 points, eight assists and six steals, Josh Hart scored 16 points, JJ Redick finished with 15, and Derrick Favors had eight points, eight assists and 13 rebounds for the Pelicans.

Nikola Jokic finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds, Jerami Grant scored 17 off the bench, and Gary Harris had 15 for the Nuggets, who had their seven-game winning streak snapped.

–Field Level Media