Inglewood (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Golden State Warriors 103-102 as Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points despite James Harden missing the game.
As reported by Reuters, Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points, Kobe Sanders added 20, and the Los Angeles Clippers edged the visiting Golden State Warriors 103 102 without James Harden on Monday, January 5.
How did Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers beat the Golden State Warriors without James Harden?
Kawhi Leonard added 24 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double, while Ivica Zubac scored 10 points and 11 rebounds as the Clippers learned James Harden would sit out with a shoulder injury.
Stephen Curry scored 27 points in a late scoring burst, and Jimmy Butler III added 24 for the Warriors, who saw coach Steve Kerr ejected early in the fourth quarter after receiving two technical fouls for aggressively contesting a potential goaltending call against the Clippers.
Even after trailing most of the game and falling behind by 14 points, the Warriors cut the lead to 94-90 when Butler made two free throws with 3:06 remaining.
The Clippers extended their lead to 101-94 with 1:48 remaining, fueled by three baskets, including five points from Kris Dunn, but Curry answered with back-to-back three-pointers, the second cutting the lead to one with 1:05 left.
The game stayed a one-point contest in the closing moments, when Butler’s 16-foot fadeaway missed everything. With the rebound redirected toward midcourt and time expired, the Clippers secured their seventh win in their last eight games.
Leonard led the Clippers in points even though he missed all eight of his three-point shots. He made 10 of 17 two-point attempts, helping Los Angeles shoot 48.1 percent overall.
John Collins contributed 18 points, and Kris Dunn put up 16 as the Clippers scored despite 20 turnovers, which were converted into 27 points by the Warriors, who committed just seven turnovers.
Curry completed 4-for-15 on three-pointers while Butler hit 1 of 4, contributing to the Warriors’ 24.4 percent shooting from deep.
Butler led the team with six rebounds and recorded four of the Warriors’ 18 steals, but Golden State could not overcome 38 percent shooting overall and 31 misses on 41 three-point attempts.
Gary Payton II finished with 14 points, marking the third double-figure scorer for the Warriors, as Draymond Green put up six points along with a game-high 12 assists.
What were the key stats from Monday’s Clippers vs Warriors match?
LA Clippers scorers
- Kawhi Leonard: 24 points
- Kobe Sanders: 20 points
- John Collins: 18 points
- Kris Dunn: 16 points
Golden State Warriors scorers
- Stephen Curry: 27 points
- Jimmy Butler III: 24 points
- Draymond Green: 6 points
- Quinten Post: 5 points
- De’Anthony Melton: 5 points
When are the Warriors and Clippers scheduled to play their next game?
The Warriors will face the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, 7 January, in the opener of an eight-game homestand.
The Los Angeles Clippers will visit the New York Knicks on Wednesday to begin a three-game Eastern Conference trip.
The next game between the Clippers and the Warriors is scheduled for Monday, March 2, 2026. Both teams have met three times this season, with their most recent matchup on Monday, January 5, 2026, ending in a 103-102 win for the Clippers.
