INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) Kawhi Leonard scored 33 points and the Los Angeles Clippers handed the East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers their second straight loss, 132-119 on Tuesday night.
Ivica Zubac had 28 points and 20 rebounds and James Harden added 22 points and nine assists in the Clippers’ fourth straight victory.
Max Strus scored a season-high 24 points for the Cavs, whose 16-game winning streak ended Sunday against Orlando. Their NBA-best road record dropped to 26-7 after they led by 12 in a 45-point first quarter.
Donovan Mitchell had 18 points and 11 assists and Evan Mobley scored 17 points in his return from a one-game absence with a foot contusion.
Cavaliers: Despite losing two in a row for the first time since Jan. 22-25 when they dropped three straight, they still have a comfortable lead in the East with less a month left in the regular season.
Clippers: Playing without injured coach Tyronn Lue for the fourth time recently, they clawed back from a 12-point deficit early to pull off one of their biggest wins of the season. They’ll need that kind of scrappy mindset to hang on to a playoff spot.
The Clippers put together a 20-3 run over the end of the third and start of the fourth, turning a one-point back-and-forth into a 12-point lead in the final quarter. Bogdan Bogdanovic scored seven in the spurt and finished with 20 points off the bench.
The Clippers controlled the boards, 49-29, and the Cavs were 17 of 26 from the free-throw line.
The Cavaliers visit Sacramento on Wednesday to finish a back-to-back. The Clippers host Memphis on Friday.
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| TOP SCORERS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  |
M. Strus SG | 24PTS | 4REB | 1AST | |
  |
K. Leonard SF | 33PTS | 7REB | 4AST | |
| STARTERS | PTS | REB | AST | PF |
| M. Strus | 24 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| D. Mitchell | 18 | 4 | 11 | 1 |
| D. Garland | 17 | 5 | 8 | 1 |
| E. Mobley | 17 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| J. Allen | 8 | 8 | 1 | 2 |
| BENCH | PTS | REB | AST | PF |
| D. Hunter | 17 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| T. Jerome | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| S. Merrill | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| I. Okoro | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| D. Wade | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| J. Tyson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| J. Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C. Porter Jr. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T. Thompson | – | – | – | – |
| E. Bates | – | – | – | – |
| L. Travers | – | – | – | – |
| Z. Smith | – | – | – | – |
| N. Tomlin | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 119 | 29 | 29 | 21 |
| STARTERS | PTS | REB | AST | PF |
| K. Leonard | 33 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| I. Zubac | 28 | 20 | 1 | 3 |
| J. Harden | 22 | 4 | 9 | 3 |
| N. Powell | 11 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| K. Dunn | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| BENCH | PTS | REB | AST | PF |
| B. Bogdanovic | 20 | 4 | 7 | 3 |
| D. Jones Jr. | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| N. Batum | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| A. Coffey | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| B. Simmons | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| P. Mills | – | – | – | – |
| P. Baldwin Jr. | – | – | – | – |
| T. Flowers | – | – | – | – |
| C. Christie | – | – | – | – |
| D. Eubanks | – | – | – | – |
| K. Brown | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 132 | 49 | 28 | 26 |