Norman Powell scored 27 points, and Kawhi Leonard added 21 points as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Charlotte Hornets 112-104 on Friday night.
Ivica Zubac and James Harden each scored 14 points, Derrick Jones Jr. had 12, and Amir Coffey came off the bench to score 10 points. The Clippers won their fourth game in the last five.
Miles Bridges led the Hornets with 27 points and nine rebounds, while Vasilije Micic added 20 points. The Hornets lost for the fifth time in their last six games.
Moussa Diabate contributed 11 points and 14 rebounds off the bench, and Josh Green posted 10 points. However, Charlotte struggled with 3-point shooting, making just 7 of 30 attempts. Bridges was 1-for-8 from beyond the arc.
Powell shot 11-for-15 from the field, including two 3-pointers. Leonard hit four of the Clippers’ 11 3-pointers, which helped offset the team’s 18 turnovers and poor free-throw shooting (9-for-16 from the starters).
Charlotte Hornets (NBA)The Hornets, missing injured guard LaMelo Ball, got close in the final quarter, cutting a 10-point deficit to 97-95. But Powell’s basket and Harden’s 3-pointer extended the Clippers’ lead. Charlotte was down 106-99 after Micic made two free throws with 3:11 left, but Powell and Leonard’s quick back-to-back baskets helped seal the win.
The Clippers led 53-48 at halftime and expanded their lead in the third quarter but had trouble fully pulling away from the Hornets.
Powell has scored 20 or more points in 12 of his last 13 games. Harden, despite six turnovers in four of the last five games, had 10 assists on Friday night.
The Hornets, now 1-4 in their nine-game homestand, outscored the Clippers 35-24 in bench points.
