James Harden scored 22 points and had 9 assists, while Derrick Jones Jr. contributed 17 points, helping the Los Angeles Clippers win their fourth straight game with a 104-88 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Friday in Inglewood, California.
Kevin Porter Jr. added 14 points, Amir Coffey scored 11, and Ivica Zubac posted 10 points along with 15 rebounds. With this win, the Clippers extended their home winning streak to seven games after losing their first four in their new arena.
The Clippers won for the second consecutive time without their leading scorer Norman Powell, who is out with a left hamstring strain. This victory also improved their record to 1-1 in West Group A of the NBA Cup, while the Kings fell to 0-2.
For the Kings, De’Aaron Fox scored 29 points, and Domantas Sabonis had 24 points and 15 rebounds after returning from a back injury. DeMar DeRozan added 16 points after missing three games due to his own back issue.
Los Angeles took control early, building a 14-point lead in the first quarter and ending the period with a 26-12 lead, as Sacramento shot only 19% from the floor.
The Clippers continued their strong play in the second quarter, holding the Kings to just 17 points, and took a 51-29 lead into halftime. That was the lowest-scoring half for any team in the NBA this season.
Sacramento started to make a comeback in the third quarter, cutting a 25-point deficit to just seven at 58-51. However, the Clippers still led 76-64 going into the final quarter.
The Kings made another push and got within 96-88 with 2:46 left, but the Clippers sealed the win with an 8-0 run. Sacramento missed seven 3-point attempts in the last 2:09.
The Clippers held their opponent under 100 points for the third game in a row and for the fifth time in their last 10 games. They also grabbed a season-high 54 rebounds in the win. Los Angeles committed 12 turnovers, after committing a season-high 25 in their win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.
