On Sunday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder overcame a late-game push from the Los Angeles Clippers to win their sixth game in a row, 103-101. The Clippers had a five-game streak of their own snapped.
The Thunder were led by 26 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Isaiah Hartenstein had 14 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and three blocks. Meanwhile, the Clippers were led by Kawhi Leonard's 25 points, who looks to be nearing his regular postseason form.
After the game, Leonard broke down why the Clippers were unable to close the gap.
After the first half, the Clippers were up by 10 points, but got outscored in the second quarter by 16 points, entering halftime trailing the Thunder.
In that second quarter, SGA took over, scoring 11 points, although the Thunder weren't much of a perimeter threat, going 3-for-11 from deep in 12 minutes.
However, the Clippers made only a single shot from deep and finished with only 17 points. They also turned the ball over four times, leading to easy points for the Thunder.
After the game, Leonard recounted how the second quarter set the tone for his team.
"Our second quarter hurt us," he said. "A lot of turnovers."
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Famously a man of only a few words, Leonard didn't feel like the Clippers' performance warranted much more than that. He'd be right. LA gave the Thunder an inch and they took a mile. Once they had the momentum, there was no looking back.
The Thunder will look to extend their win streak on Tuesday against the Sacramento Kings.
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This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 11:30 AM.