The Los Angeles Clippers are no stranger to late game comebacks. Throughout the season, the Clippers have left victorious after starting behind.
Friday was no different.
After trailing by as many as 24 points, the Los Angeles Clippers came up victorious after forward Kawhi Leonard hit a buzzer beater jumper to go ahead 114-113 against the Indiana Pacers.
On Friday night, the Pacers (15-58) entered as the worst team in the league. But they didn’t play like that in the first quarter. They dominated the game, dropping 8-of-11 3-pointers and had eight different Pacers contribute to the 42-21 lead taken after the first.
The Pacer momentum carried into the second quarter. Forward Pascal Siakam finished with 11 points, guard Aaron Nesmith had 26 and guard Andrew Nembhard 13. The Clippers went down by 24 points at one point, with the Pacers taking a 45-21 point lead.
However, the Clippers responded, showcasing their veteran and rookie talent front and center.
At the end of the second, Los Angeles outscored Indiana 29-18 to cut the deficit to 60-50 at halftime. Even with the gap closing, the Pacers continued to give the Clippers a March Madness like game.
With a minute left to play in the game, Pacer forward Obi Toppin hit a jumper to take a five point lead, 113-108. The Clippers answered right back, with Leonard hitting his own jumper and guard Darius Garland hitting two free throws.
The Clippers got inbound again, finding Leonard on the left side who dribbled down the middle and hit a quick jump shot to take the 114-113 lead.
The Pacers had two chances with 0.4 seconds left to go ahead and deliver a hard loss to the Clippers but failed both times.
During an inbound turnover, the Pacers mistakenly fouled Clipper guard Bennedict Mathurin before he could receive the ball, which led to time remaining on the clock. Mathurin missed both free throws and the Pacers recovered the defensive rebound with 0.1 seconds left.
When Nembhard was inbounding the ball again, Clipper center Brook Lopez was called for a foul, giving Pacer center Jay Huff the chance to win the game from the free throw line. But, he missed both, sending the Clippers home with a comeback win.
This was the first time this season the Clippers have ever won after trailing by more than 20 points.
Garland led Los Angeles with 30 points and Leonard sat right behind him with 28. Leonard not only hit the buzzer beater, but he also became the 14th NBA player to score at least 20 points in 50 straight games, showcasing how much of an asset he is to the LA team.
The Clippers are 39-36, sitting 8th in the Western Conference. To keep in contention for the NBA playoffs, the Clippers need to bring the same March Madness energy and win this week’s games against the Trailblazers and Spurs.