Kawhi Leonard Leads Clippers to 136–89 Rout of Nets

Clippers roll past the Nets

The Los Angeles Clippers put together a no-nonsense performance to beat the Brooklyn Nets 136–89, turning the game into a blowout early and finishing with a 47-point margin. From the opening stretch the home team controlled the tempo and never let the visitors back in.

Both squads were missing several players. The Clippers played without Bogdan Bogdanovic, Derrick Jones Jr., Bradley Beal and TyTy Washington, while the Nets were also shorthanded, missing Haywood Highsmith, Cam Thomas, Nolan Traore and Noah Clowney.

Kawhi and company do the heavy lifting

Kawhi Leonard led the charge with a steady performance of 28 points, five rebounds and a couple of assists. He’s been on a tear recently — over his last 15 games he’s averaged about 31.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per night while shooting over 50% from the floor and more than 43% from three.

James Harden chipped in a near triple-double with 19 points, six boards and eight assists. John Collins added 18 points and five rebounds, Jordan Miller scored 16 with seven rebounds, and Ivica Zubac finished with a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds).

On the Nets’ side, rookie Denny Wolf was a bright spot with 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists, and Yegor Demin reached double figures with 12 points, plus two rebounds and five assists. But Brooklyn couldn’t match the Clippers’ depth or execution on this night.

The Clippers’ convincing win sends a message about their form heading into the next stretch of the schedule, while the Nets will have to regroup and find answers after a tough loss.