LA Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George exploded for 88 combined points, and it almost wasn’t enough to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves.
On a night when the LA Clippers were without several key rotation pieces, their stars stepped up in a major way.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George each played their best game of the season, combining for 88 of the Clippers’ 124 points — 76 of which were logged by the end of the third quarter.
Leonard went for 42 points, 11 rebounds and two assists on 10-of-24 shooting from the field and a career-high 19-of-19 from the free-throw line, while George recorded 46 points, five rebounds, seven assists and two steals on 17-of-31 shooting, including 6-of-15 from three-point range.
It was the first time that a pair of Clippers teammates have each scored at least 40 points in a game, and only the 21st time in NBA history that the feat has been achieved, according to ESPN Stats and Info.
Leonard finished the game three points shy of his career-high total of 45, and George came within two points of tying his career-high 48.
46 points, seven assists, and one nice guy.@Yg_Trece signs off from Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/xUka7eK2YT
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) December 14, 2019
It almost wasn’t enough, though. The Clippers would hang on to win by a final of 124-117, but not before the Minnesota Timberwolves would storm back from a 27-point deficit to make it a four-point game with less than a minute to play.
The Clippers nearly collapsed over the final 12 minutes. Minnesota began the frame on a 25-9 run, coming back from a 102-81 deficit at the end of the third. Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins were vital players for the Wolves, scoring 39 and 34 points, respectively.
LA needed everything it got from Leonard and George. Both Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley were out with injuries Friday night, and several other role players — including sharpshooters Landry Shamet and JaMychal Green — were out as well.
Had the Clippers been able to hang on to their lead and cruise to victory in the fourth quarter, this might have been their most impressive win of the season thus far. But instead, the Clippers looked tired, and understandably so.
Friday night’s game was LA’s fourth in six nights, and they’ll play another Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls. Leonard and George also logged season-highs in minutes and took a majority of the team’s shots against Minnesota, so it’s hard to blame them for looking a little burned out by the time the game was coming to a close.
The Clippers have also played some of the league’s best teams on this current trip, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors.
LA moved to 20-7 overall with the win, and 4-1 on the trip.
The LA Clippers have a quick turnaround time for their next game, which will be played Saturday at 5:00 p.m. PST against the Chicago Bulls. Look for Williams and Beverley to potentially return to the floor and one (or both) of Leonard and George to rest.