NBA-best Oklahoma City Thunder end skid while Kawhi Leonard hits career-high 55
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Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard dunking the ball during the 112-99 home victory over the NBA Eastern Conference leaders the Detroit Pistons on Dec 28 at the Intuit Dome.
PHOTO: IMAGN IMAGES
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WASHINGTON – Chet Holmgren scored 29 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead reigning National Basketball Association (NBA) champions the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 129-104 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec 28, snapping a two-game losing run.
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 27 points, five assists, two steals and two rebounds as the Thunder improved to 27-5.
“We just did a good job getting back to our style of play and our standards,” said Thunder reserve Aaron Wiggins. “We did a good job just course correcting.”
Wiggins scored 15 points on six-of-eight shooting for the Thunder, who lost four of their previous six games, three of them to San Antonio.
“We had good recovery days and good practice and were just a little more disciplined within the way we want to play,” he added. “Did a good job making the right plays and sticking to it the entire game.”
Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, meanwhile, had the biggest night, scoring a career-high 55 points in his team’s 112-99 home victory over the Detroit Pistons, the Eastern Conference leaders.
“It was great,” he said. “I’ve got to stay in focus and stay in the zen because we’ve got one day off and games for about two weeks.
“I’m going to enjoy this one tonight and happy we got the win.”
The Clippers (10-21) boosted their winning streak to four games, as Leonard surpassed his earlier NBA best of 45 points while with the Toronto Raptors.
Leonard had 51 points by the end of the third quarter as the Clippers routed the Pistons, who own the NBA’s second-best record at 24-8.
He shot 17 of 26 from the floor, five of 10 from three-point range and 16 of 17 from the free-throw line while contributing 11 rebounds, five steals, three blocked shots and two assists.
James Harden added 28 points for the Clippers, while Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 27 points, as well as nine assists and five rebounds.
Toronto’s Scottie Barnes delivered a triple-double with 23 points, 10 assists and a career-high and club record-tying 25 rebounds to lead the Raptors over the visiting Golden State Warriors 141-127 in overtime.
Immanuel Quickley scored 27 points and Brandon Ingram added 26 to lead Toronto (19-14), while Stephen Curry scored a game-high 39 points for the Warriors (16-16), whose three-game winning streak was snapped.
Quickley scored five points in overtime, while Barnes and Ingram each added four for Toronto, who opened the extra session on a 10-0 run and never looked back.
NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic netted 34 points and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the visiting Sacramento Kings 125-101.
LeBron James added 24 points for the Lakers (20-10), while Nick Smith had 21 off the bench and DeMar DeRozan led the Kings (8-24) with 22 points.
In Portland, hosts Trail Blazers got 26 points from Shaedon Sharpe, 24 points and 10 assists from Deni Avdija and 18 points and 18 rebounds from Donovan Clingan in a 114-108 victory over the Boston Celtics.
Derrick White’s three-pointer lifted the Celtics to 109-108, but Clingan answered with a three-point play and Boston never scored again.
Jaylen Brown netted 37 points for the Celtics (19-12), whose four-game winning streak ended.
Alex Sarr’s 20 points led eight Washington scorers in double figures, as the Wizards beat the visiting Memphis Grizzlies 116-112. AFP
