NBA Game Recap - LA Clippers at San Antonio
Sat Dec 21, 2019 8:30 PM EST

UTA
114
CHA
107
F
ATL
112
BKN
122
F
WAS
108
PHI
125
F
CHI
119
DET
107
F
MIL
123
NY
102
F
SAC
115
MEM
119
F
LAC
134
SA
109
F
HOU
139
PHO
125
F
MIN
106
POR
113
F

Dec 21, 2019, 8:30 PM EST

Final

1

2

3

4

T

LA Clippers

33

39

38

24

134

San Antonio

31

30

22

26

109

Clippers pound Spurs for Leonard's first win in San Antonio
Sun Dec 22, 2019 12:18 AM

SAN ANTONIO (AP) The crowd in San Antonio turned on Kawhi Leonard again, showering the Clippers forward with deafening boos and angry shouts.

Leonard shrugged - and dominated.

Leonard earned his first victory in San Antonio since his exodus from the franchise, getting 26 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in three quarters as Los Angeles beat the Spurs 134-109 Saturday night.

"He was as sharp as I've seen him," Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers said. "Not only with his scoring, but with his defense and his passing."

The boos puzzled Rivers but didn't faze Leonard.

"It only can make me better and make our team better with the crown not being on our side," Leonard said.

Leonard was roundly booed during pregame introductions and each time he touched the ball, just as he was in two previous visits to San Antonio. The reigning Finals MVP gave the sellout crowd plenty to jeer about during an active 27 minutes.

Leonard was 11 for 16 from the field with four steals and only two turnovers in setting a hurried pace the Spurs were unable to match.

The Clippers had 74 points in the paint, 26 fast-break points and 36 points off 18 turnovers.

"It's embarrassing," said Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan, who had 24 points. "It's frustrating, especially when you're out there trying hard, definitely frustrating."

Leonard benefited from the increased pace, slamming in a season-high four dunks.

"I was able to get out in transition, especially get down the paint and able to dunk the ball," Leonard said.

Leonard demanded a trade after playing just nine games for the Spurs in 2018 due to a right thigh injury. San Antonio relented and traded him the next summer to Toronto, where he led the Raptors to their first NBA championship last season.

Spurs fans have remained bitter about his forced departure, making the team's blowout victories over Leonard and the Raptors last season and the Clippers on Nov. 29 that much sweeter.

"Just the way I probably left and how it was portrayed, the narrative that was portrayed in the media," Leonard said. "But, I don't make no sense of it. I know it's a game and it's competitive. When we're not playing or if I'm walking on the street or I see someone from San Antonio, they thank me for everything I did and they respect the way I played when I was here. It's just a part of the game, I feel like."

Leonard turned the tables in his fifth matchup with San Antonio, spending the entire fourth quarter on the bench as Los Angeles stretched its lead to 33.

The Clippers went on a 12-2 run for a 52-44 lead with 7 minutes left in the first half as Leonard and Paul George remained on the bench.

Leonard returned shortly thereafter, making all three of his attempts in the second quarter to push the Clippers to a 64-52 lead.

The Clippers outscored the Spurs 41-21 bridging the second and third quarters.

Los Angeles had six players in double figures, including 21 by Montrezl Harrell and 20 by Lou Williams. George finished with 11 points.

DeRozan, who had 13 points on 6-for-7 shooting in the first quarter, finished with 24 points to lead San Antonio. Marco Belinelli added 17 points.

TIP-INS

Clippers: Former Spurs F JaMychal Green missed the game with a bruised tailbone. ... Landry Shamat had three points in 14 minutes in his third game off the bench after 13 starts.

Spurs: F Rudy Gay had seven points in 20 minutes after being listed as questionable due to an undisclosed illness. ... C Jakob Poeltl had four blocked shots, raising his season total to 41 in 28 games. ... San Antonio is 73-15 against the Clippers at home.

BACK TO BACK

Leonard has not played in back-to-back games this season and Rivers said that won't change when the Clippers visit Oklahoma City on Sunday night despite his limited minutes against the Spurs.

"I haven't even thought about it, but we'll see. I doubt it," Rivers said. "Just too early for me, to be honest. He may bring it up, but I still don't think we'll do it."

UP NEXT

Clippers: At Oklahoma City on Sunday night.

Spurs: At Memphis on Monday night.

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More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

Leaders

LA Clippers PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
K. Leonard 26 15 9 7 4 0
M. Harrell 21 16 2 8 1 0
San Antonio PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
D. DeRozan 24 -17 3 3 0 0
M. Belinelli 17 -14 0 2 1 0

Team Comparison

LAC SA
Points For 134 109
Field Goals 54/99-55% 42/82-51%
Three Pointers 12/36-33% 10/28-36%
Free Throws 14/19-74% 15/19-79%
Offensive Rebounds 13 4
Defensive Rebounds 30 32
Rebounds 51 43
Blocks 2 8
Steals 11 5
Turnovers 11 18
Points Scored Off Turnovers 36 17
Points in the Paint 74 40
Fast Break Points 26 13
Personal Fouls 19 20
Technical Fouls 1 1
Flagrant Fouls 0 1
Ejections 0 0

2019-20 Reg Season - LAC Leads Series 2-1

Date Result Away Pts Ldr Home Pts Ldr
Thu Oct 31 SA 97 @ LAC 103 D. DeRozan 29 K. Leonard 38
Fri Nov 29 LAC 97 @ SA 107 K. Leonard 19 D. White 17
Sat Dec 21 LAC 134 @ SA 109 K. Leonard 26 D. DeRozan 24

Game Information

Stadium: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,354
Game Time: 2:8