National Basketball Association
L.A. Clippers 111, L.A. Lakers 106
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Officials: #29 Mark Lindsay, #38 Michael Smith, #48 Scott Foster
Attendance: 18997

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.

After trailing by as many as 15 in the third quarter, the Clippers pulled even at 86-86 entering the fourth.

James hit a pull-up jumper to give the Lakers a 101-94 lead with 6:39 left, but seven straight points by the Clippers tied the game again.

Leonard twice made two free throws to give the Clippers a four-point lead, the second time with 2:03 left, and the Lakers managed just one point the rest of the way.

The Lakers led by seven twice in the second quarter before an 8-0 run by the Clippers moved them ahead 43-42.

James missed his first seven shots before making a layup with 5:28 left in the second quarter to move the Lakers back ahead 44-43.

Both sides continued to trade leads for the next couple minutes before the Lakers closed on a 17-2 run to take a 63-51 lead into the break.

After trailing by as many as 15 with 9:26 left in the third quarter, the Clippers used a 16-3 run to pull within 71-69 with 6:44 remaining.

Clippers reserve guard Landry Shamet sank a 3-pointer with 2.6 seconds left to tie the score at 86-86 heading into the fourth.

The Clippers improved to 12-3 this season with George and Leonard in the lineup.

The Clippers beat the Lakers 112-102 in the season opener on Oct. 22, one of three double-digit losses for the Lakers. In that contest, Clippers were without George, who missed the first three weeks of the season while rehabilitating two offseason shoulder injuries.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
L.A. Clippers   L.A. Lakers
Kawhi Leonard 35 Scoring Kyle Kuzma 25
Lou Williams 7 Assists LeBron James 10
Kawhi Leonard 12 Rebounds Dwight Howard 9
Kawhi Leonard 8 Free Throws Made Anthony Davis 7
Maurice Harkless 2 Steals Alex Caruso 2
Paul George 3 Blocks JaVale McGee 5
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
L.A. Clippers 111 45.9 9-25 24-32 24 50 6 6 16
L.A. Lakers 106 40.6 12-45 16-21 24 42 10 11 13
Upcoming Games
  • L.A. Lakers will play their next game on the road against Portland. The Lakers have a W/L % of .875 after a win and .429 after a loss.
  • L.A. Clippers will play their next game at home against Utah. The Clippers have a W/L % of .591 after a win and .909 after a loss.