WHAT A FINAL MINUTE FROM KAWHI. ▪️ And-1 for the lead ▪️ Another and-1 for the lead ▪️ Game-saving block Clippers win a thriller in Philly.
Kawhi Leonard comes up clutch in Los Angeles Clippers win over Philadelphia 76ers
NBAThursday, 28 March 2024 at 04:07
It was a back and forth game in the final minutes of this contest, and it took heroic efforts by Kawhi Leonard to give the Los Angeles Clippers a 108-107 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center.
The Klaw did it all in the last 60 seconds of this game. He first had a beautiful cut to the basket that led to an and-1 layup to give LA the lead. In the following possession, the 2-time Finals MVP pump faked at the three-point line to get Nic Batum to jump.
He then blew by his former teammate and picked up another tough and-1 layup to give his team the lead once again. Finally, with 8.8 seconds remaining and up by 1, the future Hall of Famer blocked Kelly Oubre’s game-winning layup attempt which led to a jump ball and an eventual win for the team from California.
Leonard had an all-around performance for the Clippers as he finished with 17 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Paul George scored a team-high 22 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 5 made three-pointers.
James Harden recorded 16 points and 14 assists against his former team while Norman Powell scored 11 points off the bench. Russell Westbrook provided 6 points, 2 boards, and 2 assists in his 17 minutes.
Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 26 points for the 76ers, including 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 17 points and 11 rebounds while Mo Bamba finished with 12 points, 11 boards, and 2 blocks. Tobias Harris contributed 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks while Buddy Hield provided 17 points and 3 triples off the bench.
Los Angeles improves to 45-27 with this win and give themselves some breathing room over the 5th seeded Pelicans, as they now hold a 1 game lead for the 4th spot. This was a gritty win for the Clippers and this was a much needed performance after struggling as of late. They are now 4-6 over the last 10 games and will look to build off this performance on Friday against the Orlando Magic.
Philadelphia drops to 39-34 with this loss and falls to the 8th seed in the East. It's been a tough season for the 76ers ever since they lost Joel Embiid. They are hoping he can return sometime in the playoffs but if not, it will be a struggle for this squad to make it past the first round.
Despite sliding down the standings, this team remains just 1.5 games behind the 6th seed, so there is still a slight chance that they could avoid the play-in. This is now 2 losses in a row for Philly and they'll look to bounce back on Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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