(REUTERS, AFP) - Reggie Jackson scored a season-high 28 points, and Paul George scored 24 points and took down 13 rebounds to help the shorthanded Los Angeles Clippers to a 98-85 NBA win over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday (March 25) in the second game of a back-to-back between the two teams in the Alamo City.
The win was Los Angeles' fourth straight and fifth in their past six games. They are now 12-4 in back-to-backs this season, and 8-0 in the second game, including 6-0 on the road.
The Clippers beat San Antonio 134-101 in Wednesday's game, handing the Spurs their worst home loss in franchise history. But Los Angeles played the second game without Kawhi Leonard and Marcus Morris, who missed the game with foot and thigh injuries, respectively; the pair combined for 45 points in the first game of the back-to-back.
George, Jackson and Terance Mann (10 points and 12 rebounds) were more than up to the task, taking turns helping the Clippers overcome a six-point half-time deficit despite shooting just 38.2 per cent from the floor.
They made up for their shooting woes by outrebounding the Spurs 64-43, including a 14-3 edge on the offensive glass. DeMar DeRozan led the Spurs with 23 points, with Dejounte Murray adding 18 and Derrick White and Jakob Poeltl hitting for 11 points each.
San Antonio have lost four straight games and this is the case too for the National Basketball Association champions Los Angeles Lakers, since losing superstar LeBron James to injury.
They fell 109-101 to the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.
Philadelphia's Dwight Howard and Danny Green received the championship rings they won last year with the Lakers before the game.
But Howard's return to Staples Centre was short-lived as he was ejected at the end of the first quarter after clashing with Montrezl Harrell. A confrontation between the two ended with Harrell shoving Howard, with both receiving technical fouls.
A minute later Howard strode into Harrell, prompting another shove and a second technical that spelled the end of Howard's night.
"Clowns," was Sixers coach Doc Rivers' view of the back-and-forth between the two. "It's ridiculous, on both parts."
Green, meanwhile, starred for the 76ers against his former team, scoring a game-high 28 points as Philadelphia won despite the absence of star Joel Embiid, who is still nursing a left knee injury.
Kyle Kuzma scored 25 points to lead the Lakers. Dennis Schroder and Harrell scored 20 each for Los Angeles, who have yet to find a way to win with James sidelined by a high ankle sprain and star big man Anthony Davis still "a ways away" from returning from a right calf injury, according to coach Frank Vogel.
Meanwhile, De'Aaron Fox exploded for a career-high 44 points and Tyrese Haliburton easily won his rookie duel with James Wiseman, as the Sacramento Kings thumped the visiting Golden State Warriors 141-119.
A third straight Kings win, coupled with a third consecutive Warriors defeat, allowed Sacramento to move within two games of Golden State in their bid to make the Western Conference play-off field.
Playing against a Warriors team missing not only Stephen Curry (bruised tailbone) but also Draymond Green, who apparently had an adverse reaction to a Covid-19 vaccine shot, the Kings seized command in the second quarter and pulled well clear in the third.
The 141-point total was 13 more than their previous season high, set Jan 6 against the Chicago Bulls.
Sacramento's Richaun Holmes chipped in with 25 points to go with a game-high 11 rebounds while Haliburton had 21 points. Andrew Wiggins amassed 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Warriors.
Elsewhere, Damian Lillard made three free throws with one second left, leading visiting Portland to a win over Miami.
The Trail Blazers' C.J. McCollum scored 21 of his game-high 35 points in a sizzling first quarter, but he had just six points in the second half.
Lillard, scoreless in the first quarter, finished with 22 points and nine assists.
The Heat tied a season worst with their fifth straight loss while completing an 0-4 homestand. They were led by Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, each with 29 points. Adebayo added nine rebounds, seven assists and five blocks.
