Paul George and Kawhi Leonard found themselves at the forefront of what was a hard-fought 135-129 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night.
Memphis grabbed a 14-point lead over the Clippers after scoring a mammoth 51-point haul in the third quarter. In response, George and Leonard linked up to score 25 of the Clippers’ final 28 points in order to complete the team’s comeback.
“We just played harder,” George said. “Which really was the difference. We just brought another level. We played with some grit and we changed … I just felt tonight we just had a winning spirit.”
Overall, George contributed 42 points and 11 rebounds on the night while Leonard scored 34 points along with 10 rebounds and four assists. New arrival Russell Westbrook also got in on the action, grabbing nine points, six assists, and five rebounds.
By completing their comeback, the Clippers have become the first team to win a game despite conceding 50 points in a single quarter since the Cleveland Cavaliers back on Nov. 12, 1991, against the Milwaukee Bucks. This win also brought an end to the Clippers’ five game losing streak, marking their first victory since the All-Star break.
