Reggie Jackson scores 23 points and the Clippers surge in the fourth quarter to defeat Detroit, 96-91, as Leonard (six points) returns after sitting out the previous 12 games with knee stiffness.
LOS ANGELES — Clippers coach Tyronn Lue struggled to contain his giddiness and did a poor job trying not to smile. He pressed his lips together and uttered an “Mm-hmm” when asked if his star player was available to play, concealing his excitement.
But there he was, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his teammates as the starting lineups were announced for Thursday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, and the Crypto.com Arena crowd was ready. Leonard was back in uniform, and the fans gave him a resounding welcome back. He played another 12 minutes after halftime and finished with six points on 2-of-8 shooting, five rebounds and four assists. He watched from the bench as the Clippers rallied late in the second half to close out the Pistons, 96-91.The Clippers found themselves having to hold off the scrappy Pistons , who had three players score in double figures. Reggie Jackson’s free throws with 16.8 seconds finally assured the Clippers of the victory.
The Pistons didn’t seem to care who was on the floor. They ran off to a 12-point lead in the first half before George buried a 3-pointer from the corner to tie the game at 30 late in the half.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard upgraded to questionable for tonight’s gameThe Clippers’ star has missed 12 consecutive games due to stiffness in his surgically repaired right knee
Read more »
Kawhi Leonard returns to Clippers after 12 games out due to ACL rehab, makes 1st start of seasonKawhi Leonard is back for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Read more »
Lakers’ Dennis Schröder, Thomas Bryant set to return against Pistons; LeBron James is questionableAbout a month removed from their respective thumb surgeries, Schröder and Bryant are expected to make their season debuts on Friday night against Detroit.
Read more »