INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Darius Garland’s driving layup and free throw with 50 seconds left gave the Los Angeles Clippers (3-8) the lead, and they edged the Oklahoma City Thunder (8-5) 113-112 on Friday night at Intuit Dome.
Garland had 24 points and seven assists, and Brook Lopez scored 26 points on 11-of-21 shooting with seven rebounds. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a step-back 21-footer with 2.0 seconds left, and the Clippers held on for a critical win over an NBA threat in Oklahoma City.
The Clippers took control early, outscoring the Thunder 33-27 in the first quarter and 24-17 in the second for a 57-44 halftime lead. Lopez anchored the early offense, and Garland ran the point.
Oklahoma City roared back in the third quarter with a 40-25 surge to take an 84-82 lead, behind Gilgeous-Alexander’s game-high 40 points on 15-of-26 shooting. Isaiah Hartenstein added 21 points and 16 rebounds, and Jared McCain scored 23, hitting 7-of-11 from three.
The fourth quarter came down to the last minute. The Clippers were down as much as six points, 112-106, and they scored seven consecutive points to win the game. Lopez hit two layups to make it 112-110, and then Garland drove for the layup off Lopez’s feed to tie it 112-112 with 50 seconds left, and hit the free throw to complete the three-point play and put the Clippers ahead 113-112.
Derrick Jones Jr. missed a three-pointer, and Oklahoma City got the rebound and had a chance, but Gilgeous-Alexander’s step-back 21-footer with 2.0 seconds left missed, and the Clippers held on.
- Wagler scored 14 points off the bench and G. Dick added 13.
The Clippers shot 16-of-41 from three, 39.0 percent, to the Thunder’s 11-of-35, 31.4 percent, and 17-of-21 from the line, 81.0 percent, to Oklahoma City’s 13-of-19, 68.4 percent. The Thunder shot 46.8 percent from the field to the Clippers’ 45.5 percent, and outrebounded them 45-40. The Clippers had 28 assists to the Thunder’s 27, seven blocks to four, and turned it over 11 times to Oklahoma City’s 12.
The Clippers are 3-8. The Thunder are 8-5.
© Old Town News Scottsdale — oldtownnews.us
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