ReportWire

Tag: clippers

  • Grand Jury Clears Former NBA Player Patrick Beverley, Declines to Indict in Texas Assault Case – LAmag

    [ad_1]

    A Fort Bend County grand jury returned a “no bill,” finding insufficient evidence to support felony charge stemming from alleged 2025 incident involving Beverley’s teenage sister

    A Texas grand jury declined to indict former NBA player Patrick Beverley in connection with a November 2025 incident at his home, returning what is known as a “no bill,” meaning jurors found insufficient evidence to support criminal charges.

    The decision came earlier Monday in Fort Bend County, outside Houston, where prosecutors had presented evidence related to a felony assault allegation. Beverley’s attorneys, Rusty Hardin and Letitia Quinones-Hollins, said the grand jury’s decision enforces that the charges are now behind him, and issued a statement following the outcome.

    “Several months ago, we said that when all the information was in – when a grand jury could hear all the facts of this case – Patrick Beverley would be cleared of all charges. That is what happened today, when a grand jury sitting in Fort Bend County no-billed Patrick, effectively ending the case. Patrick wants everyone to know that he would never do anything to harm his sister and that he is very grateful that the grand jury has recognized that with their no-bill. He is thankful for all who prayed for him and supported him during this time. He is glad that the process was allowed to work as it did and his hope is that with these charges behind him now, his name and reputation will be restored.”

    Beverley also took to his X account to write, “I am deeply grateful for all thoughts and prayers for the family. We must continue to protect our children, especially our young girls. This ordeal has truly made our family stronger. Thank you for your continued support and prayers.”

    Beverley, 37, had been arrested early November 14, 2025, and charged with third-degree felony assault of a family or household member by impeding breath or circulation, according to law enforcement.

    A probable cause affidavit signed by Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Deputy Miguel Ramirez alleged the incident began around 3:50 a.m., when Beverley’s 15-year-old sister returned home after sneaking out to meet her boyfriend. Their mother, Lisa Beverley, called Beverley to the residence, the affidavit said. The affidavit alleged that Beverley assaulted his sister by grabbing her by the neck and carrying her into another room, then punching her in the eye.

    Beverley was initially taken into custody following the incident and charged with the felony offense. Again, a grand jury’s decision to return a no bill means jurors determined prosecutors did not present sufficient probable cause to formally indict Beverley, effectively halting the criminal case against him.

    Scroll to continue reading

    Beverley, a Chicago native, played 12 seasons in the NBA and was known for his defensive intensity, with stints including the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls. He later joined Barstool Sports, where he hosted a podcast beginning in 2022, though his role with the company was placed on hold following his 2025 arrest.

    [ad_2]

    Lauren Conlin

    Source link

  • Lakers Expect Luka Dončić, LeBron James Healthy vs Clippers

    [ad_1]

    The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be fully healthy against their game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 20, the first game after the break

    As the Los Angeles Lakers return from the All-Star break, the team expects to be fully healthy, which hasn’t been the case for most of the season. Guard Luka Dončić, Guard Austin Reaves and forward LeBron James have only played 10 games together this season.

    James missed the start of the season due to sciatica, but has played in most games since he returned Nov. 18, outside of three instances where he sat for the second game of a back-to-back. He is expected to play in the first game after the break.

    Dončić — the NBA’s leading scorer average 32.8 PPH and third-ranked in MVP rankings — has been out with a left hamstring strain since Feb. 5. Lakers Head Coach JJ Redick said he expects Dončić to be available. Dončić played for five minutes for Team World in the NBA All-Star game on Feb. 15.

    “I was on minutes restriction,” Dončić said. “It was definitely good to get up and down a little bit [at practice] after having a week off.”

    Reaves was out for five weeks from Dec. 25 through Feb. 3 with a calf injury. In the five games Reaves has played since being back, he’s been on a minute restriction, but Redick said he will no longer be a restriction after the break.

    Up until Reaves injured his calf, he was the ninth-leading scorer in the NBA average 27.8 PPG.

    “It’s funny, we were talking before the season about building continuity with those three guys, and we’ve had them available together for 10 games,” Redick said. “It’s just the situation we’re in. We’re not the only team that has had a bunch of health issues throughout the season and had to manage that, but my message to the players this morning was that this is going to be a sprint for these last 28 games.”

    Scroll to continue reading

    Center Deandre Ayton sat the final two games before the break with right knee soreness, but is expected to be back after the break.

    The Lakers are in fifth place in the Western Conference at 33-21, and their next game is tomorrow against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena.

    “You can tell throughout the season, even with the unfortunate injuries, we’ve done a good job maintaining it,” Reaves said. “We’re on pace for a good record, and getting healthy is going to help that. It’ll be fun to see what that looks like.”

    [ad_2]

    Tony Gleason

    Source link

  • Chris Paul Announces Retirement After 21 NBA Seasons

    [ad_1]

    After 21 seasons in the NBA, point guard Chris Paul announced his retirement today on his personal Instagram

    After 21 seasons in the NBA, point guard Chris Paul announced he is retiring on his personal Instagram. This announcement comes after the Toronto Raptors traded for Paul on Feb. 5, but then waived him today without Paul ever playing a game for them.

    Paul is a 12-time All-Star and was an 11-time All-NBA player who played for the New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs.

    “Mostly, I’m filled with so much joy and gratitude!” Paul wrote. “While this chapter of being an “NBA player” is done, the game of basketball will forever be ingrained in the DNA of my life. I’ve been in the NBA for more than half of my life, spanning three decades. It’s crazy even saying that!!”

    Across Paul’s NBA career, he has averaged 16.6 PPG, 9.2 APG and 4.4 RPG in 1,370 games. With his retirement, Paul ranks fourth in points for a point guard with 23,058 points, second all-time in assists with 12,552 and second all-time in steals with 2,728.

    The New Orleans Hornets — now the Pelicans — drafted Paul out of Wake Forest University with the fourth overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft. Paul would then go on to make his debut in the NBA with them on Nov. 1, 2005, where he had 13 points, four assists and eight rebounds in 33 minutes. Paul won Rookie of the Year in the 2005-06 season, earning 124 of the 125 first-place votes.

    The 2007-08 season was Paul’s breakout season, where he was an all-star for the first time in his career and won his first of five assists titles, averaging 11.6 APG. He was also the runner-up in MVP voting that year, receiving 28 first-place votes, but losing the award to Lakers guard Kobe Bryant.

    Scroll to continue reading

    The Hornets intended to trade Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 11, 2011, but the NBA — which owned the Hornets at the time — nullified the trade. Three days later, though, the Hornets traded Paul to the Clippers in exchange for three players and first round pick.

    When news of this trade broke, Clippers forward Blake Griffin was caught saying, “It’s going to be Lob City” to his team center DeAndre Jordan. This stuck with the team as the three of them formed the “Lob City” Clippers, who would make the playoffs six years in a row, but failed to make it past the Western Conference Semi-Finals.

    Across Paul’s six seasons with the Clippers, he averaged 18.8 PPG, 9.8 APG and 4.2 RPG, as Paul was in the top seven in MVP during his first five seasons in LA, was All-NBA First Team, and led the league in steals his first three years and led the league in assists during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.

    After the 2016-17 season, the Clippers traded Paul to the Rockets, where he teamed up with guard James Harden, who would go on to win the MVP in the 2017-18 season. The two led Houston to an NBA-leading 65-17 record and made it to the Conference Finals — the first of Paul’s career — but Paul would injure his hamstring in game 5, as the Rockets would go on to lose in seven to the Warriors.

    After one more season in Houston, the Rockers traded Paul to the Thunder, where he would play for one season, before they traded Paul to the Suns for the 2020-21 season. In his first year in Phoenix, Paul averaged 16.4 PPG, 8.9 APG and RPG — good for fifth in MVP voting — as he helped lead Phoenix to the NBA finals. The Suns would start the series up 2-0 to the Milwaukee Bucks, but lost the next four games, losing the series in six. Paul averaged 21.8 PPG, 8.2 APG and 2.7 RPG in the series.

    Paul would go on to play two more seasons with the Suns, then one with the Warriors and Spurs and before he signed with the Lakers on July 21. He played in 16 games in his return to the Clippers before they parted ways with Paul on Dec. 3. He played his final NBA game Dec. 1 against the Miami Heat, where he played for 14 minutes.

    [ad_2]

    Tony Gleason

    Source link

  • James Harden, Kawhi Leonard lead surging Clippers past Hornets

    [ad_1]

    INGLEWOOD — James Harden has passed some of the NBA’s greatest players while moving into the top 10 on the career scoring list, but this was special.

    “Definitely special,” the 11-time All-Star point guard said.

    Harden overcame a slow start against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night and finished with 32 points in a 117-109 victory to move past Lakers great Shaquille O’Neal for ninth place on the NBA’s career scoring list with 28,623 points.

    “Shaq is someone that I watched being a hometown kid in L.A., watching him and Kobe (Bryant) and the Lakers do some special things here for the city,” said Harden, who starred at Artesia High. “We were watching the most dominant center of all time, so it’s definitely an honor.”

    It also was Harden’s 109th career game with at least 30 points and 10 assists, which ranks second all-time in the NBA.

    His night wasn’t as dramatic as the last time these teams played in November, when Harden erupted for a season-high 55 points en route to a dominant victory.

    This time, the Clippers needed every single one of his points and Kawhi Leonard’s game-high 35 to continue their march toward a postseason spot.

    Three weeks ago, Coach Tyronn Lue told the team that the goal was to finish the rest of its season 30-25 after the team stumbled to a 6-21 start. With Monday’s win, the Clippers (16-23) have responded by winning 10 of their past 12 games. Some have been blowouts, others have been tight contests.

    This one was the latter until the final five minutes when the Clippers began getting defensive stops and making shots.

    “James hit back-to-back 3’s that got us going and then it was pretty much uphill for us there,” Leonard said.

    After Tre Mann’s 3-pointer gave Charlotte a 100-99 lead with 7:18 left, Harden scored eight points during a 15-1 run that gave the Clippers a 13-point lead. Leonard capped the surge with an 11-foot floater with 3:16 left.

    The Hornets (14-26) cut the margin to seven with 1:22 left but couldn’t get any closer.

    “This is a huge win for us just to gut this one out,” Lue said. “Just everybody giving everything they got. And like I said, it starts with James and Kawhi every night, just being available, playing at a high level and trusting their guys. … It’s about finding a way to win the game.”

    The Hornets were determined to try to limit Harden this time.

    “The 55 happened a lot of different ways,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said before the rematch. “I think one of the biggest things when we went back and watched the film was our inability to really affect Harden. I don’t think he felt us enough.”

    Harden felt the pressure early on Monday, making just four of 14 shots for 13 points in the first half, but he stepped up in the second half, scoring 19. Harden, who began the night 14 points behind O’Neal’s 28,596, moved ahead on a 3-pointer early in the third quarter.

    Leonard, playing on a minutes restriction because of a sore right ankle, finished 11 for 19 from the field, which included going 5 for 9 from 3-point range in 31 minutes.

    There was some concern about Leonard’s ankle before the game, with the team calling his availability a game-time decision. After his pregame workout, the team said he would play but his minutes would be capped at 30.

    Leonard sprained his right ankle when he stepped on a fan’s foot while running down the sideline during a game against the New York Knicks last Wednesday, but he played against Brooklyn on Friday and Detroit on Saturday, scoring 26 points in each game.

    “He’s feeling it, but we’ll see,” Lue said of Leonard’s ankle after the Knicks game.

    Whether it was fatigue from the back-to-back games against the Nets and Pistons or the long flight home, something was lacking with the Clippers early against the Hornets. They got off to a slow start, none more noticeable than Kris Dunn, who missed all six of his shots on his bobblehead night.

    “I thought we were dead,” Lue said. “Just looked slow, methodical. Guys were tired, winded, and so just trying to tell the guys just to push through, just stay with it and that at some point we’d get our second wind and we’d be able to be able to push through this game.”

    Still, the Clippers managed to take a 45-43 lead into halftime.

    Both teams picked up the pace in the third quarter. The Clippers opened their biggest lead of the game at 73-64 on a layup by Harden with 5:29 left in the third quarter. But the Hornets fought back and closed the gap to 77-76 on a reverse layup by LaMelo Ball then tied the score on three free throws by Grant Williams.

    Ball, a former Chino Hills High star, finished with a team-high 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Rookie Kon Knueppel had 18 points and five rebounds. Moussa Diabaté had 13 points and 15 rebounds, while Brandon Miller also scored 13 and Miles Bridges added 11.

    Jordan Miller added 14 points and Ivica Zubac had nine points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers.

    [ad_2]

    Janis Carr

    Source link

  • Clippers’ toughness showing up at right time

    [ad_1]

    Kawhi Leonard was struggling. James Harden was off. And the rest of the Clippers weren’t achieving much in the first quarter of Saturday’s game against the Detroit Pistons’ swarming defense.

    The Clippers had five baskets and eight turnovers in the first 12 minutes and trailed by 14 heading into the second quarter. Whether the Clippers got embarrassed or mad, it was evident that something sparked them.

    Leonard and John Collins picked up the pace and by the time the final buzzer sounded, the two combined for 51 points and the Clippers rallied from 14 points down with seven minutes remaining to earn a 98-92 victory over the short-handed Pistons (28-10).

    “When things get hard, we gotta get tougher,” Coach Tyronn Lue said after the game. “We talked about it all season long. I think tonight was a good showing of that.”

    The Clippers (15-23) went on a 28-8 run to close out their ninth victory in their past 11 games against the Eastern Conference leaders, who were missing their top four players. They will be looking to add another victory when they face the Charlotte Hornets (14-25) on Monday at Intuit Dome.

    “This group is tough. We need wins like this, dig deep, weather the storm and no matter what’s happening or who they have out there, we have to find ways to win games,” Collins said. “We needed this win tonight.”

    Collins has been showing a more robust side of his all-around game lately, especially his shooting from the perimeter. He scored a season-high 25 points on 64.3% (9 of 14) shooting and 62.5% (5 of 8) from 3-point range, plus had seven rebounds, one assist, four steals, on four blocks.

    The biggest improvement can be found in Collins’ 3-point shooting, which has jumped to 66.7% this month. By comparison, he was shooting 35.9% from the perimeter in December. Collins credited the coaching staff and his teammates for keeping him focused.

    “I have a coaching staff that challenges me and great dudes on my team that support me and encourage me to keep my motor going and that’s all it really is,” Collins said Saturday. “Nights like tonight, they turned it on a little bit more.”

    Lue said Collins has gotten comfortable both offensively and defensively since joining the team in a three-team offseason trade with Utah and Miami.

    “He’s really been making some plays,” Lue said. “John’s been putting in the work to get to where he is now. He’s playing amazingly. We knew he was a good shooter, but as of late, with him shooting 64% from 3 and for the year 40% – all the work he’s put in, I’m really proud of him.”

    Leonard also revved up his game after the first quarter, finishing with 26 points, eight rebounds, one assist and four steals in 31 minutes. Harden endured an uncharacteristic poor shooting night, finishing with 19 points on 20.0% (4 of 20) shooting from the field and 14.3% (1 of 7) from 3.

    [ad_2]

    Janis Carr

    Source link

  • James Harden, Clippers stay hot with wire-to-wire win at Nets

    [ad_1]

    (Photo credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images)

    James Harden scored 31 points and the Los Angeles Clippers started quickly in a wire-to-wire 121-105 victory over the Brooklyn Nets Friday night in New York.

    Harden scored 22 in Los Angeles’ dominant first half and finished with his ninth 30-point game this season. He made 10 of 13 shots and handed out six assists, as the Clippers finished with 28 assists and won for the eighth time in 10 games.

    Kawhi Leonard added 26 on 9-of-15 shooting for his 19th straight game with at least 20 points. Leonard scored 11 straight Los Angeles points with Harden on the bench to finish it off, including a crafty reverse layup as part of a 3-point play for a 106-84 lead with 6:41 left.

    Jordan Miller added 21 and John Collins contributed 16 as the Clippers tied a season high by shooting 59.2% (45 of 76) while taking 24 fewer shots than Brooklyn.

    After erasing an 18-point deficit but ultimately losing to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, the Nets lost for the fifth time in six games. Four of those losses have been by double digits.

    Brooklyn missed its first eight shots Friday and shot 40%.

    Rookie Egor Demin led the Nets with 19 points and hit five 3-pointers, but Michael Porter Jr. struggled with 18 points on 7-of-20 shooting (0-of-9 from 3-point range).

    Nic Claxton and Cam Thomas added 13 apiece as Brooklyn was unable to capitalize on getting 19 offensive rebounds.

    Harden scored 15 points and nearly hit a deep 3 at the horn as the Clippers shot 68.4% and led 35-25 through the opening quarter after getting off to a 16-2 start.

    The Clippers took their first 20-point lead when Brook Lopez converted a 3-point play with 9:41 left and held a pair of 22-point leads before taking a 63-47 lead at halftime

    After the Nets inched within 67-58 following a basket by Claxton with 8:16 left, the Clippers took a 15-point lead into the fourth.

    Brooklyn cut the lead to 95-82 on a 3 by rookie Nolan Traore with 9:53 left before Leonard took over.

    –Field Level Media

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Clippers’ Derrick Jones Jr. out again with right knee MCL sprain

    [ad_1]

    Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain of his right knee in Saturday’s loss to the Boston Celtics and will be re-evaluated in six weeks. Jones had returned just last week after missing 17 games because of a similar injury to the same knee.

    Jones collided with Boston’s Payton Pritchard as the two battled for a loose ball at midcourt and Jones limped off the court. He was seen gingerly walking to his locker, unable to put much weight on the leg.

    “(Pritchard) reached for the ball, poked it away a little bit, and once I retrieved the ball, he was going for the ball again and kind of just hit my leg,” Jones said after the game.

    “I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what’s wrong. Like I said, get an MRI tomorrow, and once we figure that out, we will go from there.”

    The 6-6 forward scored 19 points on 8-of-9 field goals, including 3-of-4 3-pointers, and had four rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot in 25 minutes before leaving.

    Jones started the first 13 games of the season and was averaging a career-high 10.9 points before the initial injury that occurred on Nov. 16 against the Celtics as well.

    [ad_2]

    Janis Carr

    Source link

  • Kawhi Leonard has another big night as Clippers beat Jazz for 6th straight win

    [ad_1]

    INGLEWOOD — Any comparisons to the last time these teams played were put to rest long before Thursday night’s game tipped off. Back in October, the Utah Jazz handled the Clippers with ease in a 21-point season-opening victory.

    That was then. Three months after that one-sided loss, the Clippers appear to have turned a corner following their rough start while a rash of injuries threatens to derail the Jazz’s season.

    Still, the Clippers proceeded with caution in their second meeting and for good reason.

    “It’s the league. Anybody can be beat,” Coach Tyronn Lue said before the game.

    The Clippers nearly found that out the hard way, needing a big fourth quarter from red-hot star Kawhi Leonard to pull away from the Jazz for a 118-101 victory at the Intuit Dome, their sixth straight.

    Leonard was the only Clippers starter on the floor for much of the fourth quarter. He finished with 45 points and single-handedly matched Utah’s points in the period (20), with blood on his nose from being poked in the eye.

    The two-time NBA Finals MVP finished 16-of-29 shooting for his 11th career 40-point game and his third in the past five games. He added seven rebounds and three assists.

    His heroics against the Jazz were a lot like what he has been doing during the Clippers’ turnaround – making big 3-pointers. He made four of his six 3-point shots in the final quarter to quash any further challenges by the Jazz (12-21).

    After leading by as many as 21 in the first half, the Clippers (12-21) let the visitors back in the game in the second quarter and struggled with their defensive poise after the intermission. The Jazz pounced and took their first lead at 60-58 on free throws by Brice Sensabaugh at the 9:21 mark of the third quarter.

    That was the opening Utah needed.

    The Jazz began a better job of getting back into transition off the Clippers’ misses and pushing the ball.

    “I didn’t feel good,” Lue said of the third-quarter collapse. “I know we missed a lot of 3’s, a lot of open 3’s, but I think once we started missing shots, we let it affect our defense.

    “We weren’t into the basketball, we weren’t physical.”

    Leonard sensed his team had backed down and took it upon himself to get the team moving by being more aggressive on the ball. He said that comes naturally to him.

    “I’ve been like that since I came in,” Leonard said. “Once you start seeing (opportunities), you start attacking more and you start to be in focus.

    “I was aggressive from day one.”

    The score remained close for much of the second half, with neither team gaining more than a four-point lead until the Clippers pulled away in the final eight minutes.

    Leonard buried a 3-pointer to put the Clippers ahead 96-92 with 7:51 remaining. After the Jazz scored, Leonard hit another 3-pointer for a 99-94 lead, starting a run of baskets that secured the lead and extended the Clippers’ winning streak.

    James Harden, who sat out the fourth quarter, had 20 points, three rebounds and seven assists. Nicolas Batum added 14 points (shooting 4 for 6 from 3-point range) and Derrick Jones Jr. had 10 points in his second game back after missing a month.

    The Clippers uncharacteristically struggled to shoot from the perimeter in the first three quarters before Leonard got into a rhythm in the fourth. Efficiency from long range had been a staple during their winning streak, but they shot 15 for 50 from behind the arc on Thursday.

    “I thought we got a lot of good looks we didn’t make and allowed them to get back in the game,” Lue said. “They got out and transitioned. We couldn’t get back and get set.

    “But then of course Kwahi came through tonight and bailed us out again.”

    The Clippers discovered Utah can still be a tough opponent, even with half of their roster missing.

    The Jazz had five rotation players out, including center Lauri Markkanen, who is dealing with a left knee contusion.

    Markkanen, who is enjoying arguably the best season of his NBA career, was downgraded from questionable to out before the game. Two days earlier, he had 22 points, nine rebounds and two assists in a loss to the Boston Celtics.

    The Jazz also were without rookie Ace Bailey (hip), Keyonte George (illness), Jusuf Nurkic (toe), Kevin Love (rest), and Walker Kessler, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in November.

    And without their stars, the Jazz provided little resistance early, allowing the Clippers to build a 16-0 lead before Utah got its bearings. The Jazz missed their first six shots and had one rebound in the first six minutes.

    Utah eventually got on the scoreboard at the 7:05 mark of the first quarter but trailed 28-7 less than 10 minutes into the game. By the end of the first quarter, Utah coach Will Hardy had used all of his available players, and the Clippers were cruising to a 31-17 first-quarter lead.

    Hardy, however, abandoned his starting lineup in the second period and the bench players trimmed a 14-point margin to 35-28 with 8:40 left in the half. Jazz forward Cody Williams scored on a layup to get within 35-30 before Leonard cut to the basket for a layup then followed it with his second 3-pointer and the Clippers were back up by 10.

    The Jazz didn’t let up and scored eight straight points to pull within 42-38. The Clippers couldn’t match Utah’s energy in the second quarter and found themselves struggling to hold on to the lead. They managed to play just well enough to take a 53-50 lead into halftime.

    Much of the Clippers’ troubles in the first half stemmed from their inability to find the basket from long range, going 5 for 25 before the break. The showing was so dismal that center Brook Lopez, who missed all eight of his long-range shots, came out at halftime and practiced his shooting.

    [ad_2]

    Janis Carr

    Source link

  • Clippers dominate 2nd half to beat Blazers for 3rd straight win

    [ad_1]

1 of 43

Clippers guard James Harden, left, drives past Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe during the second half on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

Expand

PORTLAND, Ore. — Don’t look now, but the Clippers have momentum.

James Harden had 34 points, Brook Lopez made a career-high nine 3-pointers on his way to a season-best 31 points, and Kawhi Leonard scored 18 of his 28 in the fourth quarter as the Clippers beat the Portland Trail Blazers, 119-103, on Friday night for their first three-game winning streak of the season.

Leonard added eight rebounds, six assists and three steals for the Clippers (9-21), who finished 20 for 40 from 3-point range, 29 for 31 from the free-throw line and outscored the Blazers (12-19) by 22 points in the second half.

The Clippers never led during the first 32-plus minutes but used a 19-1 run in the third quarter to take control and outscored the Blazers 63-41 after halftime.

A free throw by Donovan Clingan made it 71-59 Blazers with 8:16 left in the third quarter, matching Portland’s biggest lead of the game. After a drought for both teams, the Clippers took over.

After Lopez’s seventh 3-pointer made it 72-67, acting Blazers coach Tiago Splitter was called for a technical foul. Leonard made the free throw to make it 72-68.

Harden hit two free throws and then scored on a driving layup to tie the game at 72-all.

The Clippers took their first lead at 75-72 with 3:23 left in the third quarter on Lopez’s eighth 3-pointer. Lopez connected on his ninth basket from behind the arc 28 seconds later to make it 78-72.

Harden’s four-point play with 1:06 left in the third quarter pushed the lead to 85-77.

Leonard had a ferocious dunk on Clingan to make it 95-86. After a basket by Deni Avdija cut the Clippers’ lead to seven points, the visitors ran off six straight points – a Jordan Miller 3-pointer and three free throws by Leonard – to push their lead to 101-88 with 8:19 left.

Leonard made a 3-pointer to make it 113-99 with 1:35 left, and the Clippers closed it out.

The Trail Blazers led by as many as 12 in the opening period before Lopez scored 11 points in the second quarter, sinking three 3-pointers, to get the Clippers back into the game.

After the Clippers cut Portland’s first-half lead to 52-50, the Blazers went on a 9-0 run, capped by a fast-break dunk from Shaedon Sharpe to make it 61-50, forcing a Clippers timeout.

After the timeout, a three-point play from Harden and a 3-pointer from Kobe Sanders helped cut the Portland lead to 62-56 at halftime.

Avdija led Portland with 27 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Toumani Camara made five 3-pointers and scored 20 points and Shaedon Sharpe added 16 points for Portland. Caleb Love had 14 points off the bench, and Clingan added 10 points and eight rebounds.

UP NEXT

The Clippers host the Detroit Pistons on Sunday at 6 p.m.

[ad_2]

Staff and news service reports

Source link

  • Lakers hope to get Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton back soon

    [ad_1]

    INGLEWOOD — The Lakers were without three of their normal starters for Saturday night’s road game against the Clippers, but they hope to have two of them back in the lineup as soon as Tuesday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns in Arizona.

    Starting guard Austin Reaves (left calf strain), center Deandre Ayton (left elbow soreness) and forward Rui Hachimura (right groin soreness) were all unavailable on Saturday night.

    Reserve guard Gabe Vincent also missed his second game because of lower back tightness.

    Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia and Jaxson Hayes started alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James for the Lakers on Saturday in light of the injuries.

    Coach JJ Redick said the hope is for Reaves and Ayton to be available against the Suns, while the team is hoping Hachimura’s ailment will only keep him sidelined for 3-5 days.

    After their matchup against the Suns, the Lakers will host the Houston Rockets on Thursday in a Christmas Day matchup.

    Reaves’ absence on Saturday was the third consecutive game he missed because of the calf ailment, while Ayton has missed a pair of games.

    Ayton suffered his injury after getting tangled up with Suns center Mark Williams during last Sunday’s road win in Phoenix.

    Redick also acknowledged the uncertainty of the timelines for when players might return.

    “I never know with these guys, I never know,” he said. “It’s hard to commit to timelines here. A guy wakes up and says, ‘Ah, something’s wrong with me.’ That’s, we got to deal with it. I don’t know, but we hope to have them back soon.

    “D.A., Austin, progressing. Hope to have them back soon and then Rui, it’s a new issue that popped up post-Utah game and we’re targeting, or we’re saying it’s 3-5 days.”

    IMPACT ON MARGINS

    In his previous two games since being back in the rotation, forward Jarred Vanderbilt grabbed 18 rebounds, including 11 on the offensive glass, in 40 minutes.

    Vanderbilt acknowledged his presence on the glass has been a priority since playing regular minutes again.

    “That’s something I can bring to the table every single night, especially some games (when) we’re not shooting well,” Vanderbilt said. “So it’s a lot more opportunities for offensive rebounds. We’re trying to win that possession battle. If we’re not having a great shooting night, I think having multiple efforts and being able to get more opportunities up on the glass and offensive rebound is gonna just better our chances.”

    Vanderbilt’s presence has helped the Lakers have two of their best offensive rebounding games of the season as they focus on winning the margins they typically struggle with.

    Despite the ways teams defend Vanderbilt, having the player defending him sag off into the paint and clog up driving/passing lanes, the Lakers have a similar offensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions) with Vanderbilt on the court (118.9) versus when he’s off the court (120.6), according to Cleaning The Glass.

    “Over the last couple of games, it’s been the second-effort stuff, the offensive rebounds, giving us more opportunities to score, being decisive when he does get the ball,” Redick said. “We’ve got to play a little bit differently. Post facing, using him as a passer.

    “But I do think we’ve had a number of defense-to-offense plays with him on the floor and with that group that started the second and fourth quarter of the last couple of games. And that’s really helped the offense without having to run a play and all that stuff.”

    [ad_2]

    Khobi Price

    Source link

  • Clippers lose another game to Grizzlies as struggles continue

    [ad_1]

    1 of 35

    Clippers guard James Harden drives as Memphis Grizzlies guard Jaylen Wells defends during the first half on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)

    Expand

    INGLEWOOD — The Clippers appeared to have reached a good place at least mentally, Coach Tyronn Lue said, pointing to their recent play.

    “We’ve been better,” Lue said of his team’s close games. “Defensively, we’ve been better and offensively, it’s understanding how we want to play and the need to play has been better.”

    That was Lue’s thought before the Clippers lost to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night in their first home game since Nov. 29. Afterward, his view took on a far less rosy outlook.

    “I think mentally, I think when it gets hard, you got to get tougher. We can be playing good basketball and a couple of things go wrong and they’re like, ‘here we go again’ instead of having a mindset that we got to get tougher, we got to get stronger and then do things even better,” Lue said.

    “And these last five, six, seven games, we haven’t been able to do that.”

    All of which has left the Clippers stuck in a rut and going nowhere fast.

    The Clippers have not won at the Intuit Dome since Halloween, have won just three of their past 21 games overall and have only the New Orleans Pelicans (5-22) to thank for keeping them out of the Western Conference basement.

    The Clippers (6-20) are tied with the Sacramento Kings for 14th place.

    Before the game, Lue said his players needed to make the hard plays down the stretch if they wanted to “get over the hump.” This game was over long before the final two minutes elapsed.

    Whereas their last three losses were decided by nine, three and two points, this was a blowout by comparison. The Clippers, who have lost three games to the Grizzlies in less than three weeks, couldn’t blame this one on late-game blunders or missed opportunities.

    The Grizzlies (12-14) dominated the fourth quarter, building a 23-point lead before settling for the 18-point victory. Reserve guard Cam Spencer scored 12 of his career-high 27 points in the final 12 minutes, burying his fifth 3-pointer with 8:34 remaining to give Memphis a 98-86 lead.

    Spencer, who finished with seven 3-pointers (on 10 attempts), added another long-range shot roughly two minutes later to push the lead to 106-86.

    The Clippers couldn’t generate much fight from there against a strong offensive showing by the Grizzlies. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the charge with 31 points on 13-of-18 shooting to go along with four rebounds and four assists. Jaylen Wells added 16 points and five rebounds and three assists.

    The Clippers honored 12-time All-Star James Harden with a video tribute that celebrated his recent ascension into the NBA’s top 10 career scoring leaders. But the veteran point guard couldn’t match the highlights on Monday, finishing with 13 points, three rebounds and six assists.

    Harden was listed as questionable before the game because of a calf injury that he sustained in the Clippers’ previous game against the Houston Rockets. Harden, who averaged 20.5 points and nine assists in the two previous games against Memphis, wore a wrap on his lower leg and lacked his usual explosiveness.

    Lue said Harden wanted to play despite his limitations.

    “I mean James wants to play every night and just having the mindset to try to gut it out for us was huge,” Lue said. “And you could tell he wasn’t himself throughout the whole course of the game and we just kept checking on him, kept trying to monitor it and just giving respect for just trying to get out there.”

    Harden, like Kawhi Leonard, left the locker room without speaking to reporters.

    Leonard led the Clippers with 21 points. Kris Dunn had 17 points and Ivica Zubac finished with six points but had 13 rebounds.

    The Clippers couldn’t do much to slow the Grizzlies, who took a 56-48 lead into halftime behind Jackson’s 21-point explosion in the first half and 12 early turnovers by the Clippers.

    “We didn’t score. We didn’t score the ball, especially at the start of the second quarter,” Lue said. “I thought their size hurt us when they had (Jock) Landale and Jackson in the game together, but I thought we did it to ourselves a couple of times, just not running the right offense.

    “When the pressure is speeding us up that we tend to not do what we’re supposed to do. And so, they took full advantage of that. We turned the basketball over during that stretch as well and we were unorganized.”

    The Clippers had 18 turnovers – 12 in the first half – compared to 11 for the Grizzlies.

    The Clippers caught the Grizzlies in the third quarter, even regaining the lead (they had led by as many as nine in the first quarter) on a 3-pointer by Dunn at the 9:37 mark. But any lead the Clippers took was short-lived.

    Memphis went on a 9-0 run to take a 72-64 lead with 4:46 left in the third, leading Lue to call a timeout but it didn’t change the Clippers’ error-prone ways.

    Memphis won the first two meetings this season, but this matchup had a different look. For starters, two-time All-Star Ja Morant was in the lineup for Memphis after missing 10 games because of a sore right ankle, including the two against the Clippers.

    Playing on a minutes restriction, Morant finished with 12 points in 21 minutes in his second game back. He finished with 21 points and 10 assists in a loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday.

    While Morant was back, center Zach Edey was out because of a stress reaction in his left ankle. But the Grizzlies didn’t seem to notice.

    Backup big men Landale and Santi Aldama joined Jackson in keeping Zubac away from the basket for much of the night.

    [ad_2]

    Janis Carr

    Source link

  • 2025-26 NBA Power Rankings: Thunder repeat talk more than noise

    [ad_1]

    (Photo credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images)

    Even before the first bogus ‘back spasms’ show up on an injury report, it’s already the Year of Barely-Walking Wounded in the NBA.

    Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard and Fred VanVleet are missing more than the season-opener next week. They’re done for the year.

    Optimistic fans are counting the days to the returns of Jayson Tatum, Tyler Herro, Dejounte Murray and Kyrie Irving, but that requires more than fingers and toes. And LeBron James is finally acting his age, leaving open to guesswork when he might debut this season.

    De’Aaron Fox, Jalen Green, Darius Garland, Keegan Murray, Zach Edey … heck, even T.J. McConnell won’t see the bright lights of Halloween.

    Who’s next?

    The Thunder begin the season healthy and a healthy choice to repeat as champions. But throw in injury comebacks and expected trades and a lot of rosters could look a whole lot different when teams get serious about their title runs about four months from now.

    Here’s where each team will tip off in the Field Level Media season-opening power rankings:

    30. Utah Jazz

    Nobody got less for more in the exporting of Jordan Clarkson, John Collins and Collin Sexton. Is it any wonder teams are lining up to be Lauri Markkanen’s new employer before Danny Ainge gets sent away as well?

    29. Washington Wizards

    When CJ McCollum was drafted by the Trail Blazers more than a decade ago, he was brought in to displace Wesley Matthews. In Washington, the bar is much lower: Jordan Poole.

    28. Brooklyn Nets

    If the NBA adds a fifth quarter for rookies only, move the Nets up about 26 spots.

    27. Charlotte Hornets

    They say this is now LaMelo Ball’s team, which presumably means terrible shot selection, no defense and a chance this will be A.J. Dybantsa’s team next year.

    26. New Orleans Pelicans

    More than half of last year’s minutes have disappeared, and another big chunk is likely to be gone as soon as there’s someone atop the 2026 draft projections for whom dealing Zion Williamson in exchange for better lottery odds makes sense.

    25. Phoenix Suns

    They’re starting over with two guys – Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks – who desperately need a re-start. Fortunately in the stacked West, little is expected … which should buy new coach Jordan Ott a couple of years.

    24. Sacramento Kings

    They’ve tried hard to trade their misfits, only to be told others desire Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk even less than they do.

    23. Chicago Bulls

    They spent all summer telling Josh Giddey just how unvaluable he is; now it’s his turn to show them they were right.

    22. Memphis Grizzlies

    Having Ja Morant as the face of your franchise is like having Deshaun Watson as your quarterback. A divorce seems likely, but buyer beware.

    21. Portland Trail Blazers

    The additions of Lillard and Jrue Holiday indicate Chauncey Billups is intent upon making a run at the playoffs next season. With the Kings and Suns sinking in the West, the door isn’t exactly closed this year, either.

    20. Atlanta Hawks

    Kristaps Porzingis begins his fifth NBA life; most dogs have just one.

    19. Philadelphia 76ers

    When they get Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey back … there’s a better chance Erving, Iverson and Barkley suit up together this season.

    18. Miami Heat

    If this romance thing with A’ja Wilson is serious, maybe a move west is in Bam Adebayo’s future. Sunset-destined Erik Spoelstra would be wise to tag along.

    17. Toronto Raptors

    There are 15 reasons why they could make the playoffs this season: RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram … and the 12 flawed teams other than the Cavaliers and Knicks against which they will be competing for six spots.

    16. Indiana Pacers

    Losing Haliburton means more Aaron Nesmith, which is fine. Losing Myles Turner, on the other hand, means more … James Wiseman? Ouch.

    15. Milwaukee Bucks

    They’ve cornered the market on Antetokounmpos; for the financial sake of the franchise, hopefully there weren’t tariffs attached.

    14. Boston Celtics

    Tatum has gotten more headlines this preseason than Bad Bunny. Sometimes less is best for all of us.

    13. San Antonio Spurs

    No pressure, but by Tim Duncan’s third season, the Spurs had already won a championship. That was with Gregg Popovich. Good luck, Mitch Johnson.

    12. Detroit Pistons

    No Tatum. No Haliburton. No Lillard … no reason the Pistons don’t take another major step north in the Eastern hierarchy.

    11. Orlando Magic

    1971 … A year without 3-pointers. Also, the number of 3’s missed by a landlocked team that couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean last season. Desmond Bane to the rescue.

    10. Los Angeles Clippers

    The NBA has a tough call on Kawhi Leonard’s no-show windfall: Penalize the Clippers now and cast a shadow over the All-Star Game host, or penalize them later and risk Leonard sitting out the playoffs. Stay tuned.

    9. Los Angeles Lakers

    Imagine Christmas Day and Independence Day falling back-to-back. Such is the case in Slovenia, where if Luka Doncic weighs in at 180 on Dec. 27, it’s kilograms, not pounds.

    8. Dallas Mavericks

    The Western champs of two years ago have since added Anthony Davis and Cooper Flagg, while losing Doncic. That’s a big-time net positive.

    7. Golden State Warriors

    The last time Draymond Green didn’t like a cocky young teammate, he punched Jordan Poole. Until Jonathan Kuminga gets traded, Al Horford isn’t the Warrior to watch.

    6. Minnesota Timberwolves

    The Cavaliers of the West: You might not want to believe Anthony Edwards is a star and the Timberwolves are a serious contender, but he is and they are.

    5. Houston Rockets

    They finished the regular season ahead of teams like the Warriors, Lakers and Clippers last year for one reason – they rested fewer old men. Even with Kevin Durant, why would this year be any different?

    4. New York Knicks

    You know the old saying: Defense wins championships … unless you don’t win championships, in which case the coach gets fired. The Mike Brown/Jordan Clarkson version should be more fun.

    3. Cleveland Cavaliers

    They saw the value of busting their butts to win 64 games last season. They won’t make that mistake again. In the depleted East, they don’t have to this time.

    2. Denver Nuggets

    Put Cam Johnson in place of Michael Porter Jr. (basically 0-for-the-series) and the Nuggets beat the Thunder last May. Now add Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. as well and a rematch can’t happen soon enough.

    1. Oklahoma City Thunder

    The last little guy who put his body more in harm’s way than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was Allen Iverson (797 free throws) in 2008. Note to SGA: Iverson played 25 fewer games the next season.

    –Dave Del Grande, Field Level Media

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • NBA Investigates $28M “No-Show Job” Deal with Kawhi Leonard

    [ad_1]

    LA Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer have been accused of paying Kwahi Leonard $28 million for a “no show job”

    Basketball star Kawhi Leonard was allegedly paid $28 million for a “no-show job”, according to Pablo Torre.
    Credit: Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

    Sportswriter Pablo Torre accused the Los Angeles Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer of paying Kawhi Leonard $28 million for a “no-show job”. On Wednesday, Torre laid out the accusations on his show, “Pablo Torre Finds Out”. The sportswriter mentioned direct quotes from the legal documents between Leonard and Ballmer.

    The situation revolves around the now bankrupt tree planting company called Aspiration, which was funded by Ballmer, and the KL2 Aspire, LLC, which was funded by Leonard.

    Aspiration entered a $28 million legal agreement with KL2 Aspire. Part of the contract states that Leonard could only get paid if he remained a member of the Clippers, but he could “decline to proceed with any action desired by the Company”. 

    Torre spoke with former Aspiration employees about the situation. One of the interviewees, who chose to use a voice modifier, claimed that he was told that the agreement between Leonard and Aspiration was an attempt to “circumvent the salary cap”.

    If the allegations prove to be correct, Ballmer and Leonard would have violated vital NBA rules. An NBA spokesperson told Yahoo News on Wednesday that the league is “commencing an investigation in response to Torre’s report”.

    [ad_2]

    Ava Mitchell

    Source link

  • Clippers subjected Kawhi Leonard to ‘unsafe and illegal treatment,’ ex-trainer says

    Clippers subjected Kawhi Leonard to ‘unsafe and illegal treatment,’ ex-trainer says

    [ad_1]

    Kawhi Leonard’s tenure with the Clippers has been marred by numerous injuries, and his status for this season remains in doubt.

    As the organization plays its opening season in the newly completed Intuit Dome, a new complication has arisen: A lawsuit filed Thursday by a former trainer alleges unsafe treatment of the franchise’s star player.

    Randy Shelton was the strength and conditioning coach at San Diego State and worked closely with Leonard during the player’s time with the Aztecs. The lawsuit says the Clippers began their pursuit of Leonard — using Shelton as an intermediary — in 2017, two years before Leonard joined the team.

    Following a devastating ankle injury for Leonard during the Western Conference finals in 2016, Clippers assistant general manager Mark Hughes emphasized discretion as he sought out the San Antonio Spurs star’s private health information through Shelton, the lawsuit states.

    Hughes and Shelton spoke around 15 times by phone and seven times in person, Shelton says. The offer: a job as the Clippers’ strength and conditioning coach if the team could persuade Leonard to join.

    The team got its wish, with Leonard and Shelton joining in the 2019 offseason. From there, Shelton was relegated to the sidelines as a new assistant coach, Todd Wright, took over his responsibilities, the lawsuit says.

    Shelton’s remaining job was to take care of Leonard, a task that the suit claims deliberately was made more difficult as the team excluded Shelton from meetings and “withheld necessary medical treatment and information that impacted Leonard’s training and health.”

    Leonard’s health woes continued. He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the 2021 playoffs, and Shelton set a recovery target of two years — a timetable the Clippers were unwilling to accept, he says.

    Upon Leonard’s return for the 2022-23 season, the team promised a minutes restriction and that the forward would not play back-to-back games but failed to uphold that promise, Shelton claims. After the first two games, Leonard complained of knee swelling and inflammation, and an MRI revealed cartilage damage.

    The lawsuit says Leonard was “given biologics to band-aid the problem” instead of allowing the player the necessary time to heal. Less than a month later, in November 2022, Leonard returned to play and suffered two ruptured ligaments in his ankle within a week.

    Again, Shelton claims, the team demanded productivity, circumventing Shelton’s advice and withholding information from him. Shelton says the team began to force him out shortly thereafter.

    As Leonard battled through these injuries and the team’s record suffered, his minutes per game increased from 32 in December 2022 to 35 in January and 38 in February.

    This heavier load, which included one set of back-to-back games in March and April 2023, helped lead the team to a playoff berth. In the first round against Phoenix, Leonard tore his meniscus and suffered cartilage damage on his repaired ACL, requiring another surgery.

    After the injury, Shelton complained to the team. He said, according to the lawsuit, that “the mishandling of Kawhi Leonard’s injury and return-to-play protocol has been mind-blowing,” and that “the disregard for his recovery process is unacceptable.”

    The Clippers conducted an internal investigation, which concluded in June 2023 and found no wrongdoing. In July, President Lawrence Frank fired Shelton without cause, according to Shelton.

    Last season, Leonard again suffered a breakdown that necessitated another surgery. Shelton blames the team for pushing Leonard too hard.

    “The Clippers place revenue and winning above all else, even the health and safety of their ‘franchise’ player in Leonard,” the lawsuit says.

    Leonard missed the Olympics and is out to start the season. His return date is unclear.

    The Clippers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

    In a statement provided to Chris Haynes, the NBA reporter who first reported on the lawsuit, the Clippers said: “Mr. Shelton’s claims were investigated and found to be without merit. We honored Mr. Shelton’s employment contract and paid him in full. This lawsuit is a belated attempt to shake down the Clippers based on accusations that Mr. Shelton should know are false.”

    [ad_2]

    Terry Castleman

    Source link

  • The Clippers Are Dumb, Plus the NFL Trade Deadline, Sleeper Teams, and ‘The Godfather’ With Michael Lombardi

    The Clippers Are Dumb, Plus the NFL Trade Deadline, Sleeper Teams, and ‘The Godfather’ With Michael Lombardi

    [ad_1]

    The Ringer’s Bill Simmons shares his thoughts on the 76ers trading James Harden to the Clippers (1:55) before he is joined by Michael Lombardi to discuss the NFL trade deadline, cross-off teams, and risers and fallers (24:09). Then, they talk The Godfather Part III, mob TV shows, and more (1:13:46).

    ‌Host: Bill Simmons
    Guest: Michael Lombardi
    Producer: Kyle Crichton

    Subscribe: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / Stitcher / RSS

    [ad_2]

    Bill Simmons

    Source link