It took a Kawhi Leonard game-winner, but the Los Angeles Clippers survived on Sunday night at the Intuit Dome.
Leonard hit a short jumper from the block as time expired to lift the Clippers to a 111-110 overtime win against the Sacramento Kings. After a tight matchup the entire way, DeMar DeRozan put the Kings up by a single point with about 20 seconds left in the extra period with a pair of free throws.
Leonard, as time started ticking down, started his move to the basket. He slowly backed Kings forward Keegan Murray down through the lane, crossed to the opposite post and threw up a perfect left-handed shot that bounced on the rim twice before falling. It was perfect, and sparked a huge celebration at the arena.
Leonard had 17 points and four rebounds in the win for the Clippers, and shot just 1-of-7 from behind the arc. James Harden came just shy of a triple-double with 29 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, and Ivica Zubac had 22 points and 14 rebounds.
The Clippers won the game without head coach Ty Lue, who left the Intuit Dome early on Sunday due to back pain. Further specifics are not yet known, though Lue was with the team for their shootaround and attended his pre-game media session normally before leaving.
Lue, 47, is in his fifth season as the Clippers’ head coach. He was hired ahead of the 2020-21 campaign after spending a year on staff as an assistant, and he entered Sunday night with a 218-163 record with the organization. The Clippers were led by assistant Brian Shaw in Lue’s absence on Sunday night.
DeRozan led the Kings with 31 points and 10 assists, and Zach LaVine added 30 points. Murray finished with 15 points, and center Jonas Valanciunas had 17 rebounds to go with his nine points. The loss dropped the Kings to 33-30.
It’s unclear how long Lue will be away from the Clippers. The team will travel to take on the New Orleans Pelicans next on Tuesday, which is the start of a three-game road trip. While the timing of his back injury isn’t great, the Clippers still got the job done without him on Sunday night.
