NBA roundup: Clippers' Leonard wins in return to Toronto

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[December 12, 2019]  Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points and added six assists and five rebounds on his return to Toronto, and the visiting Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Raptors 112-92 Wednesday night.

Leonard, who led the Raptors to the NBA title last season before leaving as a free agent, was presented with his championship ring in a ceremony before the game. There also was a video tribute. He was greeted with a loud, prolonged ovation.

Lou Williams scored 18 points and had eight assists off the bench for the Clippers, who have won five of their past six games. Clippers guard Patrick Beverley left the game with a concussion during the third quarter.

Pascal Siakam scored 24 points for the Raptors, who have lost four of their past five games. Norman Powell added 22 points.

Milwaukee Bucks 127 - New Orleans Pelicans 112

Eric Bledsoe scored 29 points as host Milwaukee won its 16th consecutive game despite the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, routing New Orleans.

Antetokounmpo, the reigning NBA MVP, sat out the game because of a sore quad tendon, but three teammates joined Bledsoe in double figures. Khris Middleton scored 24, Ersan Ilyasova added 18 and George Hill had 13. The Bucks matched their longest winning streak since winning 16 in a row over two seasons in 1973.

JJ Redick scored 31, Brandon Ingram had 25 points and 10 rebounds, Jrue Holiday scored 21 and rookie Jaxson Hayes had 12 points to lead the Pelicans, who lost their 10th game in a row.

Sacramento Kings 94 - Oklahoma City Thunder 93

Bogdan Bogdanovic drained a 3-pointer with 17.3 seconds left to give Sacramento a victory over visiting Oklahoma City.

Buddy Hield recorded 23 points, six rebounds and six assists as Sacramento won its third straight contest. Bogdanovic scored 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Marvin Bagley III had 11 points and six rebounds in 23 minutes in his return after fracturing his right thumb in the season opener and missing the next 22 games.

Chris Paul missed a 15-foot step-back jumper with 1.6 seconds left as Oklahoma City's season-high, three-game winning streak ended.

Houston Rockets 116 - Cleveland Cavaliers 110

James Harden scored 55 points to lead Houston to a victory at Cleveland. Harden finished 20 of 34 from the floor and drilled 10 of 18 3-point attempts to help the Rockets overcome a 24-0 Cleveland run that bridged the final two periods.

Russell Westbrook added 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Houston, which has won five of its past seven games.

Rookie Kevin Porter Jr. scored a career-high 24 points to pace the Cavaliers, while Collin Sexton chipped in 18. Kevin Love and Clarkson scored 17 apiece, with Love adding 11 rebounds. The Cavaliers have dropped 14 of 15 games.

Los Angeles Lakers 96 - Orlando Magic 87

LeBron James collected 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his sixth triple-double of the season as visiting Los Angeles posted a victory over Orlando.

Reigning Western Conference Player of the Week Anthony Davis added 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, who have won 15 of 16 overall and 12 in a row on the road.

Aaron Gordon collected 14 points and 14 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season, but the Magic dropped their second in a row following a season-high four-game winning streak.

Charlotte Hornets 113 - Brooklyn Nets 108
 


Devonte' Graham scored 27 of his career-high 40 points after halftime as Charlotte overcame a 20-point deficit and recorded a victory over Brooklyn in New York.

Graham shot 12 of 21 from the field and hit 7 of 12 3-point attempts. He became the first Hornet other than Kemba Walker to get a 40-point game since Al Jefferson on Jan. 31, 2014, against the Los Angeles Lakers. Miles Bridges added 14 points for Charlotte.

Spencer Dinwiddie scored 24 points for the Nets, who fell to 9-4 without Kyrie Irving (right shoulder impingement). Jarrett Allen added 21 points and 10 rebounds for Brooklyn.

Indiana Pacers 122 - Boston Celtics 117

Domantas Sabonis recorded 15 points and 14 rebounds, and the Indiana bench came up big in the fourth quarter to produce a win over Boston in Indianapolis.

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Kawhi Leonard (2) controls a ball as Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) tries to defend during the third quarter at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

The Pacers handed the Celtics just their second loss in the past eight games, but Indiana needed to rally in the fourth quarter to do it. The Celtics outscored the Pacers 37-23 in the third quarter to take a 10-point lead into the final period.

Kemba Walker scored a season-high 44 points for the Celtics, but his potential game-tying 3-point attempt in the closing seconds came up short. Malcolm Brogdon led the Pacers with 29 points, including the final four free throws to put the game away.

Utah Jazz 127 - Minnesota Timberwolves 116

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, dished out six assists and collected five rebounds to lift Utah over Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Rudy Gobert finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds to help the Jazz win for just the third time in nine games. Joe Ingles added 23 points, five rebounds and five assists. The Jazz shot 56.6 percent from the field and 45.7 percent from 3-point range.

Jeff Teague scored 32 points and dished out six assists to lead the Timberwolves. Andrew Wiggins added 26 points while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Minnesota lost its sixth straight game and gave up at least 120 points for the fifth consecutive contest.

Memphis Grizzlies 115 - Phoenix Suns 108

Dillon Brooks had 27 points and Jaren Jackson Jr. had 24 and three 3-pointers as Memphis built a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter and held on to knock off host Phoenix.

Brandon Clarke had 15 points and seven rebounds off the bench and Ja Morant had 13 points -- four in the final 43 seconds -- and six assists for the Grizzlies, who won their second straight game after losing nine of 10.

Frank Kaminsky had season highs with 24 points and four 3-pointers, Ricky Rubio had 22 points and eight assists and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Suns, who were trying to get back to .500 for the first time in three weeks.

New York Knicks 124 - Golden State Warriors 112 (OT)

Julius Randle capped a double-double performance with a tiebreaking 3-pointer in the second minute of overtime, helping New York give interim coach Mike Miller his first NBA win while snapping a 10-game losing streak in an entertaining victory over Golden State in San Francisco.

Randle finished with 24 points and a team-high 13 rebounds, and Marcus Morris scored 36 points, his most since joining the Knicks as a free agent in the offseason. New York rebounded from a 28-point shellacking on Tuesday in Portland to deliver Miller a win in his third game since replacing David Fizdale.

In a duel between 20-game losers and two of the lowest-scoring teams in the league, Draymond Green recorded a triple-double (14 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists), while D'Angelo Russell scored 32 points for Golden State. The Warriors forced the extra session by outscoring the Knicks 9-3 in the final 40.3 seconds of regulation.

Chicago Bulls 136 - Atlanta Hawks 102

Zach LaVine scored a game-high 35 points on 12-for-16 shooting, including 7 of 7 from beyond the arc, and host Chicago snapped a three-game losing streak by beating Atlanta.

Lauri Markkanen added 22 points on 8-for-9 shooting for Chicago, which recorded a season high in points. Coby White scored 19 points to lead the Bulls' reserves, while Wendell Carter Jr. notched his 13th double-double in 26 games with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Alex Len scored 17 points off the bench to lead Atlanta, which lost its second game in as many nights. Cam Reddish added 16 points off the bench, and Trae Young recorded 15 points and 13 assists despite shooting only 4 of 14 from the field and 1 of 6 from beyond the arc.

--Field Level Media

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