Kawhi Leonard And Darius Garland Lift Clippers To Victory Over Grizzlies

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Kawhi Leonard had 28 points, Darius Garland scored 11 of his 21 points successful nan 4th fourth and nan Clippers held connected for a 123-120 victory complete nan Memphis Grizzlies connected Saturday night.

Bennedict Mathurin vanished 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Derrick Jones Jr. added 16 points arsenic nan Clippers won for nan 4th clip successful 5 games contempt hitting only 4 three-pointers, a play low.

Ty Jerome led Memphis pinch 23 points and 7 assists. Taylor Hendricks scored 18 and Cedric Coward 15 arsenic Memphis mislaid its 3rd straight.

The crippled was adjacent throughout, and nan Grizzlies held a 118-117 lead pinch astir 2 minutes left. Leonard and Jordan Miller each made a brace of free throws to springiness nan Clippers a 121-118 edge. Mathurin’s 2 free throws pinch 4.4 seconds near sealed nan triumph arsenic Jerome’s closing three-point effort for Memphis was disconnected nan mark.

The Clippers, who were 15 games nether .500 earlier this season, now beryllium astatine 31-32. The are successful ninth spot successful nan Western Conference, and successful nan moving for a postseason bid.

Meanwhile, nan Grizzlies’ play has been marred by injuries. Six rotation players were connected nan injured database for Saturday’s game, including defender Ja Morant, who missed his 20th crippled pinch a near elbow ulnar collateral ligament sprain.

Before nan game, Morant said he wanted to stay pinch nan franchise, moreover referring to a Grizzlies logo tattooed connected his backmost arsenic a motion of his loyalty.

Memphis sewage disconnected to a accelerated commencement building a 19-point lead against nan Clippers, playing connected nan 2nd nighttime of a back-to-back.

The advantage was short-lived. The shooting touch near Memphis, which committed 10 turnovers successful nan second. Leonard scored 15 points and nan Clippers trailed by a constituent astatine 59-58 astatine nan break.