NBA: Kawhi Leonard, Clippers best Knicks, get back to .500

Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points, dished out eight assists, and grabbed seven rebounds as the Los Angeles Clippers reached a .500 record for the first time in over four months with a 126-118 victory over the visiting New York Knicks on Monday night.

Bennedict Mathurin added 28 points and seven rebounds off the bench to help Los Angeles even its record at 32-32. The Clippers were last at the break-even mark on November 3, after a 3-3 start that included a loss to the Miami Heat. Los Angeles had fallen to 6-21 before mounting a steady climb back to .500.

Darius Garland contributed 23 points and seven assists, including five 3-pointers, as the Clippers notched their fifth win in six games. Brook Lopez and Derrick Jones Jr. each added 16 points.

For New York, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 35 points on 13-of-17 shooting, while also recording 12 rebounds and seven assists before fouling out. Jalen Brunson had 28 points and eight assists, OG Anunoby scored 22 points, and Josh Hart finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds. The Knicks dropped to 1-2 on a five-game road trip.

Los Angeles shot 46.2% from the field, including 46.2% from three-point range (18 of 39). New York made 51.1% of its shots and hit 35% from beyond the arc (14 of 40), holding a 51-36 advantage on the boards.

The game featured several key runs. Mikal Bridges’ 3-pointer brought the Knicks within 92-86 with 9:50 left, but Garland and Leonard responded with an 8-2 run, extending the lead to 100-88. Later, Anunoby’s three-pointer made it 109-104 with under four minutes remaining, but Lopez and Mathurin helped the Clippers regain control, building an 11-point lead with just over a minute left to seal the win.

Leonard scored 21 points in the first half as Los Angeles led 64-55 at halftime. Towns and Brunson combined for 40 points for New York in the first half, keeping the game close. The Clippers maintained an 88-81 advantage entering the fourth quarter before pulling away in the final minutes.

—Field Level Media/Reuters