:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/CRBHK64ELRAI7JSO6NAQZYGGTQ.jpg)
Trade deadline passes, and Kyle Lowry remains with Raptors
Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) celebrates a three-point basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets Wednesday, March 24, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)Kyle Lowry wound up staying with Toronto after all. The trade deadline has come and gone. โAnytime you trade a player like Nikola, it is a tough decision to make," Magic President Jeff Weltman said. But Lowry โ a free-agent-to-be and considered perhaps the biggest prize on this year's trade market โ did not get traded, the Raptors apparently unable to find enough assets to their liking. Questions swirled around Lowry all the way to the 3 p.m. EST deadline, and there were signs that the Raptors were positioning themselves to make the move.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/7XBSJ4Y7AZHRNJBWIXTXIPOM5M.jpg)
Antetokounmpo, Bucks rally late to to beat Clippers 105-100
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the LA Clippers Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)MILWAUKEE โ Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks showed they can still rally in the fourth quarter to win games with their defense. Antetokounmpo scored 36 points and sparked a game-closing 9-0 run as the Bucks rallied to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 105-100 on Sunday for their fifth consecutive victory. The Bucks generally havenโt performed quite as well on defense this season but stifled the Clippers down the stretch. Bucks: Antetokounmpo has scored at least 35 points in four straight games, making him the first Bucks player to accomplish that feat since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from Jan. 6-14, 1973.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/RCJGDYXOUBD4NECYXRLWE3K3B4.jpg)
Nets hold on to edge Clippers, win season-best 6th in a row
Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden, left, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)LOS ANGELES โ James Harden scored 37 points and the Brooklyn Nets held off a furious fourth-quarter rally to edge the Los Angeles Clippers 112-108 on Sunday night for their season-best sixth victory in a row. The Nets wrapped up a 5-0 trip, beating Golden State, Sacramento, Phoenix, and both Los Angeles teams to complete their longest undefeated single trip in franchise history. โWinning six in a row, all it does is keep the world silent for a bit,โ Kyrie Irving said. Irving scored 12 points โ matching his total from the first half โ to send the Nets into the fourth leading 89-79.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PYSA4L5JIZCYPKFMVLBLMJWNSY.jpg)
Clippers edge Jazz 116-112, snap Utah's 9-game win streak
Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, left, is defended by Utah Jazz forward Royce O'Neale during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Friday, Feb. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)LOS ANGELES โ Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points, reserve Lou Williams had 19 and the Los Angeles Clippers edged Utah 116-112 on Friday night, snapping the Jazz's nine-game winning streak. George had 15 points in his return from a seven-game absence with an injured toe. His pair of free throws sent Los Angeles into the fourth leading 79-75. Clippers: Leonard was selected as a starter for the West in next month's All-Star Game in Atlanta.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6EKCOPVM7NFIXJRZZ2ODDIDEXQ.jpg)
Leonard, Clippers pull away from Knicks for 129-115 win
Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points and the Clippers rang up the highest point total of the season against the New York Knicks on Sunday, winning 129-115 for their 10th victory in 11 games. The Clippers shredded the NBA leaders in fewest points per game allowed to break away after leading by one at halftime. The game's start time was moved up four hours by the NBA to 1 p.m., though neither that nor the Knicks' good early shooting seemed to bother the Clippers. Leonard and Jackson each scored 10 points in the period, when the Clippers made five 3-pointers and scored 35 points, taking a 101-91 lead to the fourth. Knicks: The Knicks' previous high for points allowed was 121 to Indiana in their season opener.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/65LDO4HGMNA6PFJ23RPCAQ6FSA.jpg)
Clippers beat Thunder 108-101, tie for NBA's best record
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Theo Maledon (11) defends against Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)LOS ANGELES โ Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat Oklahoma City 108-101 on Sunday for their seventh consecutive victory and second straight over the Thunder. Serge Ibaka added 17 points. At 13-4, the Clippers are tied with the Lakers for the best record in the NBA. Oklahoma City has lost three in a row and five of six.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/EAXKFROXPZFR5A6NPPXSYNO6OI.jpg)
Clippers beat Pacers 129-96 for 1st 4-game winning streak
Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon (7) shoots against Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)LOS ANGELES โ Marcus Morris scored a season-high 20 points to lead seven players in double figures, and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Indiana Pacers 129-96 on Sunday night for their first four-game winning streak of the season. โGuys are buying in and enjoying playing the game.โDoug McDermott led the Pacers with 23 points, making five 3-pointers. It was their fourth straight game with at least 15 3-pointers made, tying the longest such streak in franchise history. ... Williams missed his second straight game with a left hip injury.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WAUG34G25ZHR5CSFYKMPFS2KCM.jpg)
George's 33 send Clippers past Lakers 116-109 on ring night
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, right, is defended by Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)LOS ANGELES โ After the Los Angeles Lakers got their championship rings, the Los Angeles Clippers gave a performance that showed this retooled team is determined to contend for its own jewelry several months from now. Paul George scored 26 of his 33 points in the second half, Kawhi Leonard added 26 points and the Los Angeles Clippers rallied past the Los Angeles Lakers on the NBA championsโ ring ceremony night for a 116-109 victory Tuesday. The Clippers beat the Lakers in the season opener for the second straight year while winning coach Tyronn Lueโs debut. Schrรถder also was impressive in his Lakers debut, with 14 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/3AX4MDW5YBHGRCI6OPERBCAUPI.jpg)
Nuggets do it again, taking Clippers to Game 7 in West
The never-say-die Nuggets pulled off another season-saving comeback โ and, after rallying from 19 points down with 22 minutes remaining, theyโll see the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7 on Tuesday night for a berth in the Western Conference finals. Nikola Jokic had 34 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, and the Nuggets topped the Clippers 111-98 on Sunday to even their West semifinal series at three games apiece. They saved themselves again in Game 5 of this series, getting down by 16 before coming back to save the season again. Over the next 10 minutes, the Nuggets outscored the Clippers 30-8. SCHEDULES SETWith Denver's win, the Western Conference finals โ Clippers or Nuggets vs. the Los Angeles Lakers โ are now certain to start on Friday, with games every other day until someone wins the series.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2JU6CO4YGFB3XESXGK2SKY2SCE.jpg)
Leonard, Clippers beat Nuggets 96-85, take 3-1 series lead
Reserve Montrezl Harrell added 15 points to help the Clippers take a 3-1 lead. After building an 18-point lead in the second quarter, Los Angeles saw Denver storm back and tie it at 48 early in the third. Nikola Jokic had 26 points and 11 boards for a Nuggets team that finds itself in an all-too-familiar situation. They were down in their first-round series against Utah before becoming the 12th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit. Nuggets: F Michael Porter Jr. scored 13 of his 15 points in the second quarter.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4DP6QGMPYZBZDB5GIZZ23OQD5Q.jpg)
George, Leonard lead Clippers to 113-107 win over Nuggets
Clippers coach Doc Rivers called a timeout to calm down the Clippers with 8:29 left and trailing 97-90. Denver was cruising along in the second quarter, leading by 12 points with 3:34 left before halftime, before the Clippers roared back. ... F Marcus Morris had 12 points. Nuggets: Denver outscored the Clippers by a 58-42 margin in points in the paint. He played a little more than 12 minutes in Game 1 and 15 minutes in Game 2.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/OOF55KPQZJALDHMLZSUSV62JVE.jpg)
Harrell wins Sixth Man Award to keep it with Clippers
Harrell ended the two-year run of teammate Lou Williams who finished third and gave the Clippers four winners in the last five years. Harrell and Williams helped the Clippers have the leagues highest-scoring bench for the second straight season. Harrell received 58 first-place votes from a panel of 100 sports writers and broadcasters, earning 397 points. Dennis Schroder of Oklahoma City was second with 35 first-place votes and 328 points, while Williams got the other seven first-place votes and 127 points. Harrell didn't play during that after leaving the team because of his grandmother's death, but returned to help the Clippers into the second round of the playoffs.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/N2K5Z3UIS5EX7AK5KM5T6SS55M.jpg)
Mavs pull away while Doncic sits, beat Clippers 127-114
Two nights after scoring 42 points in the highest-scoring debut in postseason history, Doncic played just nine minutes in the second half. They beat the Clippers for the first time in five meetings this season and earned their first playoff victory since 2016. Kawhi Leonard had 35 points and 10 rebounds, but Paul George had a mostly miserable performance for the second-seeded Clippers. Clippers: Reggie Jackson started in place of Beverley and scored 11 points. The Clippers noticed the guard wasn't moving well at their shootaround and decided to scratch him.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/LV3VJRUBJZETXEBS7TCVA3IIYE.jpg)
Mavs' Luka Doncic set to begin his first NBA playoff run
For the first time since 1990, the Dallas Mavericks are going to the playoffs without Dirk Nowitzki on the roster. The German great retired after last season, officially passing the torch as leader of the Mavs to Doncic the Slovene who nearly averaged a 30-point triple-double in just his second NBA season. So, no, he hasnt seen what the NBA playoffs are like. Behind Doncic, they only assembled the greatest year in NBA history in terms of offensive efficiency. He can make those incredible plays.And now Doncic gets the chance to make those plays on the NBAs best stage: The playoffs.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/RFBT23HFWVADPCM3B2JUP2WNUY.jpg)
George, Leonard lead Clippers past Nuggets for No. 2 seed
The Clippers took control with 13 straight points midway through the third quarter and barely let the Nuggets get back in it. Jerami Grant, who missed Denver's last game due to injury, led the Nuggets with 25 points. Clippers: Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harrell have both returned to the NBA's bubble, although neither could play as yet. ... Ivica Zubac had 15 points and a team-high 12 rebounds for Los Angeles. Clippers: Play Oklahoma City on Friday.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MZ3HVBY6OFFITKMAC35QKEKHLA.jpg)
McGruder's late 3 helps Clippers edge Trail Blazers 122-120
Portland led by as much as 10 in the first quarter and was up 37-34 at the end of the quarter. They also outshot the Trail Blazers outside the arc hitting 15 of 34 (44.1%) compared to 17 of 43 (39.5%). Trail Blazers: Outscored Los Angeles 46-38 in the paint. HEY YOUThe Trail Blazers had some regional support with Blitz the Seahawk, mascot for the NFLs Seattle Seahawks, sitting in the virtual seats, for the early afternoon game. Trail Blazers: Play Philadelphia on Sunday.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4UHW5BCYXZDULJT3422XVZUDZI.jpg)
The NBA MVP finalists: Antetokounmpo, James and Harden
A trio of past winners of the award reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, four-time MVP LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and 2017-18 winner James Harden of the Houston Rockets were announced Saturday as the finalists for this seasons top NBA individual honor. Antetokounmpo is bidding to become the 12th back-to-back winner of the award, and Harden is vying for his second MVP in three seasons. The other finalists for NBA honors:Rookie of the Year Ja Morant, Memphis; Kendrick Nunn, Miami; Zion Williamson, New Orleans. Sixth Man Montrezl Harrell, Los Angeles Clippers; Dennis Schroder, Oklahoma City; Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers. Defensive Player of the Year Antetokounmpo; Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers; Rudy Gobert, Utah.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/BWZBHMXT7ZBNDDEYCWOZKXID4E.jpg)
Booker's shot at buzzer leads Suns over Clippers 117-115
The Suns improved to 3-0 in the bubble as they chase a playoff spot. Ricky Rubio missed a shot after that and Ivica Zubac got the rebound, but he threw a bad pass that Mikal Bridges stole to give the Suns another chance. He turned the other direction and shot as George was closing, then crashed to the court as his teammates surrounded him to celebrate the victory. After setting a franchise record by making 25 3-pointers in a win over New Orleans on Saturday, the Clippers managed just eight in the loss. Leonard led the Clippers with 27 points and George added 23.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5QCYXQKOLBAC7OGRNE3EVGYTDU.jpg)
Clippers' Williams will serve 10-day quarantine, miss games
He will miss at least two of the Clippers' seeding games, including their July 30 opener against the Los Angeles Lakers. It's possible he could miss more than two since his likely release will be Aug. 4, the day of the Clippers' third seeding game. Williamson received the shorter quarantine because was tested daily during his absence and continually was negative, plus satisfied other NBA requirements. Williams is a Sixth Man of the Year candidate this season, averaging 18.7 points this season for the Clippers. The Clippers have secured a playoff spot and enter the restart sitting second in the Western Conference, 5 1/2 games behind the Lakers and 1 1/2 games ahead of third-place Denver.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/HSPJGQWFK5DRHGRPG63TYFIWUI.jpg)
Family issues outside bubble calling some NBA players home
The key is can we finish, said Clippers coach Doc Rivers, Austin Rivers father. Whether it be a family problem, a kid problem, a wife problem, anything, there are issues that come in these guys life. Doc Rivers said in a weird way, there can be a positive to seeing players dealing with various issues. I think in a good way in this, the public actually sees that the NBA players actually are human and they do have regular life issues going on, the Clippers coach said. The problem is usually with the life issues you can come back to the team and play the next day.