Slumping Clippers Get 37 Points From Kawhi Leonard But Fall To The Magic

Desmond Bane scored 36 points and Paolo Banchero added 16 points and 8 assists arsenic nan Orlando Magic held connected for a 111-109 victory complete the Clippers connected Sunday nighttime astatine Intuit Dome.

Wendell Carter Jr. had 15 points and 14 rebounds and Tristan da Silva scored 13 for nan Magic, who improved to 5-2 since Feb. 5.

Kawhi Leonard shrugged disconnected an ankle wounded to people 37 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 21 points and 9 rebounds disconnected nan chair for nan Clippers, who are 4-5 since Feb. 2. Mathurin missed a three-point effort to triumph nan crippled astatine nan buzzer.

Jordan Miller had 14 points for nan Clippers (27-30).

Leonard exited Friday’s nonaccomplishment against nan Lakers pinch an ankle sprain. Mathurin was playing successful his 5th crippled for nan Clippers aft he was acquired astatine nan waste and acquisition deadline from nan Indiana Pacers.

Orlando won contempt going 8 of 23 from three-point range, 2 games aft mounting a franchise grounds pinch 27 three-pointers successful a triumph astatine Sacramento. Jalen Suggs missed his 2nd consecutive crippled for nan Magic pinch backmost spasms.

In a tight crippled throughout, Leonard gave nan Clippers a 107-105 lead pinch 3:03 remaining connected a jumper from nan apical of nan key. The Magic took complaint from location arsenic Bane deed a jumper to necktie nan people and past made a layup pinch 1:28 near for a 109-107 advantage.

As nan Clippers missed 4 consecutive shots, Orlando went up 111-107 connected a fast-break dunk from Banchero pinch 40 seconds left.

Bane tried to pad nan Magic’s lead pinch 8 seconds remaining but had his changeable blocked wrong by rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser. Mathurin past raced down nan level only to miss a 25-footer arsenic clip expired.