Kawhi Leonard, Clippers slip past struggling Bucks
Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points as the Los Angeles Clippers returned home with a 129-96 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday in Inglewood, Calif.
Brook Lopez and Kobe Sanders produced 19 points apiece and Darius Garland added 15 points and six assists for the Clippers (36-36).
Los Angeles played without Bennedict Mathurin (toe) for the fourth consecutive game and also were without John Collins (ankle). The Clippers, who earned a second straight win, started a run with seven of their last 11 regular-season games at home.
Lopez went 5 of 6 from 3-point range, while Leonard finished 3 of 10 from long distance and set a career high with 149 made 3-pointers. The Clippers (36-36) shot 58% from the floor and 44.7% (17 of 38) from beyond the arc.
The Clippers led by as many as 24 points in a dominant first half, then removed any doubt when they led by as many as 46 points in the third quarter. Los Angeles forced 23 turnovers while holding the Bucks to 44% shooting overall.
Gary Trent Jr. scored 20 points, AJ Green had 15 and Ryan Rollins added 13 for the Bucks, who fell to 3-11 since Feb. 27. Milwaukee (29-42) was without Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) for the fourth consecutive game. The Bucks star has played six games since Jan. 27.
Los Angeles used a 9-3 run at the start of the second half to open an 80-50 lead, then went on a 9-0 surge to take a 96-52 advantage with 4:30 remaining in the third after consecutive 3-pointers by Leonard and Lopez. The Clippers were up 108-67 to start the fourth quarter.
Los Angeles defeated Milwaukee for just the second time in seven games over the past four seasons. The teams will complete the two-game regular season at Milwaukee on Sunday.
The Clippers shot 58.5% from the floor in the first half while taking a 71-47 lead behind 22 points from Leonard and 13 from Garland. Rollins led the Bucks with 11 points in the first half, when Milwaukee had 14 turnovers.