NBA ROUND-UP: LA Clippers edge the Houston Rockets in last-minute win, still without Kawhi Leonard
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The LA Clippers took a last-minute win against the Houston Rockets, despite being without star Kawhi Leonard Monday night.
Leonard missed Monday’s game after only two appearances this season. He will also not travel with the Clippers on their upcoming road trip, according to coach Ty Lue.
That means his absence will extend to at least six games as he continues to recover from an ACL tear he sustained in the 2021 playoffs that kept him out for the entire 2021-22 season.
The LA Clippers took a last-minute win against the Houston Rockets 95-93 on Monday night
Paul George scored three times before securing the lead and victory for the Clippers
Kawhi Leonard missed Monday’s game after just two appearances this season
That right knee would still hinder him and he has also been struggling with a quad disease for years.
Leonard will not travel with the team when it visits the Houston Rockets on Wednesday and the San Antonio Spurs on Friday and it is unclear if he will play against Utah.
“He’s frustrated,” Los Angeles coach Tyronn Lue said. “He wants to travel, but the doctor said it wasn’t right to deal with the stiffness and what he’s going through now.”
Houston Rockets guard forward Kevin Porter Jr. (R) scores a three-pointer against Los Angeles
LA Clippers’ Ivica Zubac (center left) dunks the ball during the Clippers’ win
Meanwhile, the Bucks kept their winning streak alive and expanded to six while beating the Detroit Pistons 110-108.
Jrue Holiday hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 45.3 seconds left and finished with 25 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points and Brook Lopez had 24 to help the Bucks remain the NBA’s only undefeated team. Bobby Portis added 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Cade Cunningham scored 27 points and Bojan Bogdanovic added 23 for the Pistons. Jaden Ivey scored 19, Hamidou Diallo 13, Isaiah Stewart 11 and Saddiq Bey 10 for Detroit.
Jrue Holiday hit a tiebreaking three-pointer with 45.3 seconds left as the Bucks went unbeaten
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points to help Milwaukee beat the Detroit Pistons 110-108
One night after beating the defending champion Golden State Warriors to make a five-game slip, the young Pistons nearly knocked down another NBA heavyweight.
Though never leading, the Pistons recovered from a 16-point deficit to tie the score at 105 when Cunningham found Isaiah Stewart under the basket with 57.6 seconds left. Holiday responded by sinking a step-back 26-footer on Milwaukee’s next possession.
Elsewhere in the league, James Harden scored 23 points and had 17 assists, while Philadelphia came back to .500 with a win over Washington despite missing Joel Embiid.
Tyrese Maxey added 28 points for Philadelphia. Georges Niang dropped all four of his three-pointers in the second half – including three in the fourth quarter – and finished with 12 points as the 76ers took their third straight win and went to 4-4.
James Harden (right) scored 23 points and had 17 assists as Philadelphia came back to .500
Embiid, the back-to-back NBA MVP finalist, missed out due to a non-COVID-19 related illness.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 32 points and Bradley Beal added 19 for Washington, who lost his third in a row and second at home.
Toronto beat Atlanta thanks to Pascal Siakam, who had 31 points and 12 rebounds, and Scottie Barnes, who scored 21 points with the highest season.
Gary Trent Jr. scored 21 points and OG Anunoby had 14 points as the Raptors scored high for a season, improving to 3-1 at home.
Siakam had six assists, his best 30th game in a franchise with 20 or more points, 10 or more rebounds and five or more assists.
Trae Young had 14 points and 10 assists, and John Collins had 12 points and 12 rebounds before dropping out when the Hawks lost their second straight streak. Dejounte Murray scored 20 points for the Hawks, Clint Capela had 13 and De’Andre Hunter 11.
Toronto Raptors beat Atlanta Hawks thanks to Pascal Siakam (left), who had 31 points
Kevin Huerter scored 26 points, Davion Mitchell added 23 points, including two clutch jumpers late in the game, and Sacramento recovered from a 15-point deficit to beat Charlotte for the second straight win.
Huerter and Mitchell went together 10 out of 16 out of a 3-point range and Harrison Barnes added 14 points as the Kings beat Charlotte to 37-18 in the third quarter.
PJ Washington led the Hornets by 28 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 16 for Charlotte.
Lauri Markkanen had 31 points and 10 rebounds to lead Utah over Memphis.
Lauri Markkanen had 31 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Utah Jazz over Memphis Grizzlies
Malik Beasley scored a season-high 18 points off the bench for the Jazz. Mike Conley and Collin Sexton added 15 each. Utah made 19 3-pointers to take its second win over Memphis in three days.
Yes Morant had 37 points to speed up the Grizzlies. Dillon Brooks added 19 points and Tyus Jones broke in 12. Memphis shot 6 of 26 from a 3-point range.
Things unraveled for the Grizzlies in the second period amid a flurry of turnover and a long-shooting drought. Utah held Memphis to one basket in 6 1/2 minutes. The Jazz also forced eight turnovers during the quarter, scoring 10 points on those takeaways.
That opened the door for Utah to take control before halftime. The Jazz ripped off a 24-5 run, punctuated by Jordan Clarkson’s four-point play, to grab a 54-38 lead.