The Los Angeles Clippers will seek to continue their solid play when they host the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
The Clippers have won eight of 10 games during their recent run, after injuries and inconsistency plagued them for stretches last month. However, their recent run includes a 122-117 win over the Heat in Miami on Jan. 24, when Kawhi Leonard recorded his first career triple-double with 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
Leonard also led the way Monday, when he scored a team-high 22 points with seven rebounds and six assists in a 108-105 victory over the visiting San Antonio Spurs.
After a slow start, Leonard and the Clippers rallied from a 15-point, first-half deficit to prevail.
“I thought that San Antonio showed up with a purpose tonight. You could see they’re fighting for their playoff lives, and they played that way in the first half,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers told the media after the victory. “I thought we were in the building. In the second half, I thought we competed more, we got into the ball with more ball pressure, the looks weren’t as easy (and) we held them to (42) points. So the defense in the second half won the game for us.”
The Clippers got a scare in the third quarter when Paul George took an elbow to nose from San Antonio’s DeMar DeRozan. George was forced to the locker room to stop the bleeding but returned to finish with 19 points, a season-high 12 rebounds and eight assists.
“Tough cat. I thought it was broke the way it was leaking out there,” Clippers guard Lou Williams said. “We know he can take a punch now.”
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At Miami, Jimmy Butler delivered a season-high 38 points on 14-of-20 shooting as the Heat pounded the Philadelphia 76ers 137-106 on Monday. The Heat have won three of their last four contests.
“I’m never worried about offense; I’m never worried about defense. All I’m ever worried about is winning,” Butler told reporters after the game. “I can’t say it enough. I mean it. And my group of guys that I have around me, that’s all they care about as well. So as long as we’re playing like this and getting (wins), I’m happy no matter who’s shooting what shot, no matter who’s making what. The group of guys that we have here … we’re just here to win.”
Goran Dragic had 24 points, while Duncan Robinson finished with 19 for the Heat. Bam Adebayo, an All-Star for the first time this season, just missed recording a triple-double with 18 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. Miami committed only three turnovers to 14 for Philadelphia.
The Heat blew the game open in the second half, outscoring the Sixers 41-25 in the third quarter to turn a four-point edge at the break into a 97-77 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Injuries are beginning to pile up on the Heat. Rookie Tyler Herro left the contest against the Sixers with right foot soreness. Forward Meyers Leonard sustained a sprained left ankle during the game.
Forward Justise Winslow remains out with a bone bruise in his back.
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