Clippers pull away late, hand Knicks third straight loss

James Harden scored 27 points and Kawhi Leonard added 20 as the Los Angeles Clippers won consecutive games for the first time in nearly a month with a 105-95 victory over the New York Knicks at Inglewood, Calif.

Ivica Zubac scored 16 points with 14 rebounds, Nicolas Batum added 17 points while making five 3-pointers and Bogdan Bogdanovic had eight points with 12 rebounds as the Clippers improved to 2-0 on a three-game homestand following a 2-6 road stretch.

The Clippers were without leading scorer Norman Powell (hamstring) for the eighth time in the past nine games, while Derrick Jones Jr. returned to score nine points after missing the previous three games with a groin injury.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 23 points with 10 rebounds, and Josh Hart grabbed 20 rebounds with 14 points for the Knicks, who were playing without leading scorer Jalen Brunson following an ankle injury late in Thursday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Mikal Bridges scored 22 points and OG Anunoby added 11 for New York, which has lost three consecutive games for the first time since Jan. 3-6.

The Knicks were within 79-78 at the start of the fourth quarter despite not having their primary offensive threat while playing for the second time in two nights.

Los Angeles scored the first six points of the fourth and took a 94-85 lead on a free throw from Leonard with 5:58 remaining. Two more free throws from Leonard put the Clippers up 100-89 with 2:44 left. The Clippers' bench scored 16 points in the final quarter.

Los Angeles scored the first nine points of the game and had a 31-25 lead after one quarter before New York took its own nine-point lead in the second quarter. The Clippers finished the first half on a 24-9 run to lead 60-54 at the break.

Harden had 19 points for the Clippers in the first half, while Towns had 14 for the Knicks.

--Field Level Media