INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Clippers (2-7) finally stopped the slide. Darius Garland scored 24 points and handed out 10 assists, Brook Lopez added 20 points and seven rebounds, and the Clippers beat the New Orleans Pelicans 139-123 on Sunday night at the Intuit Dome — their first win since the season opener and the end of a seven-game losing streak.
It was their best offensive night of the season: a season-high 139 points on a season-best 54.8 percent shooting, 16-of-38 from three, and 34 assists. Just as big for a team that came in averaging an NBA-worst 20.1 turnovers, they committed a season-low 11.
The Clippers led 67-60 at halftime behind 14 points from Garland, after leading by as many as 13 in the second quarter. New Orleans opened the second half with an 18-10 run and took a 93-92 lead, but Kobe Sanders put Los Angeles back in front 94-93 with a three with 2:23 left in the third, and the Clippers never trailed again. A 15-6 run to open the fourth stretched it to 117-101, and three free throws from Garland made it 124-107 with 4:56 left.
Gradey Dick scored a season-high 15 points and rookie Keaton Wagler added 15 off the Clippers bench, and Rui Hachimura scored 14. Baba Miller gave them two steals and two blocks.
Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with 26 points and seven rebounds, and Zion Williamson and Jeremiah Fears scored 25 apiece, Fears adding five assists and six rebounds. Saddiq Bey added 13. New Orleans shot 50.6 percent and made 31 of 35 free throws, but its 16 turnovers against 23 assists told the other side of the ball-movement story — the Clippers had 34 assists against 11 turnovers.
The win was the Clippers’ first since they beat Sacramento on opening night, and it came short-handed, with Isaiah Jackson out after being hurt Wednesday against Miami.
Next comes the harder part: the Clippers are winless in four road games this season, and they visit the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. The Pelicans play at Golden State on Monday night.
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