James Harden scored 23 points, and Ivica Zubac added 16 points and 12 rebounds as the Los Angeles Clippers cruised to a 125-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. This win was the Clippers’ fifth straight.
The game was the first of a four-game road trip for the Clippers. They shot 58 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range, and they controlled the rebounds 44-33, even without their top scorer Norman Powell (hamstring) and star player Kawhi Leonard (knee).
Derrick Jones Jr. scored 18 points, and Terance Mann added 13 points off the bench for the Clippers.
For Philadelphia, Jared McCain scored 18 points but struggled, shooting just 3-of-15 from the field. The 76ers continued to play without Joel Embiid (knee) and Paul George (knee). Tyrese Maxey contributed 17 points, and Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 12.
The Clippers shot 60 percent in the first quarter, with Harden and Amir Coffey each hitting two 3-pointers. Los Angeles jumped out to a 17-5 lead in less than five minutes, eventually finishing the first quarter ahead 39-27.
In the second quarter, the Clippers maintained a lead of at least 11 points and went into halftime up 62-50.
Los Angeles started the third quarter with a 9-1 run, including five quick points from Jones, to push their lead to 20. Maxey’s 3-pointer brought Philadelphia to within 73-56, but the Clippers responded with 13 of the next 15 points to extend their lead to 86-58.
A layup by Kris Dunn with about four minutes left in the third gave the Clippers a lead of more than 30 points for the first time. Kevin Porter Jr.’s basket a minute later made it 95-62, the Clippers’ largest lead of the game.
The 76ers made a brief 10-2 run to end the third quarter, capped by McCain’s 3-pointer, but they still trailed by 25 points going into the final quarter.
Philadelphia never posed a serious threat in the fourth quarter and dropped to a 3-13 record for the season.
