NBA: More Kawhi Leonard means another win for Clippers

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, right, shoots as Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane, center, defends and center Ivica Zubac gets knocked away during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points in a season-high 34 minutes, James Harden added 18 points with 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Clippers earned a 128-114 victory over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA on Wednesday at Inglewood, California.

Norman Powell also scored 18 points and Ivica Zubac added 12 points with 13 rebounds as the Clippers won their second consecutive game following a three-game losing streak. Bogdan Bogdanovic, acquired from the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline, scored seven points in his Los Angeles debut.

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Harden moved past Hakeem Olajuwon and into sole possession of 13th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 26,949 points.

Desmond Bane scored 23 points and Jaylen Wells added 18 as the Grizzlies played without Ja Morant (knee) on the second night of a back-to-back. Memphis heads into the All-Star break with losses in two of its last three games.

The Grizzlies shot 7 of 9 (77.8 percent) from 3-point range in the first quarter then shot 11 of 27 the rest of the way to finish 18 of 36 (50 percent) from distance in the game.

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After a tight first half, the Clippers took control by outscoring the Grizzlies 36-21 in the third quarter when they shot 51.7 percent from the floor. Los Angeles led by as many as 23 in the frame and went into the final period with a 102-84 advantage.

The Grizzlies fell behind 11-2 less than four minutes into the game then outscored the Clippers 37-17 to take a 39-28 lead after one quarter. Memphis was 15 of 23 (65.2 percent) from the floor in the first quarter.

The Clippers controlled the second quarter and took a 66-63 lead into halftime behind 14 points from Leonard, while Bane had 17 for the Grizzlies. Memphis committed 12 first-half turnovers that Los Angeles turned into 22 points. –Field Level Media