James Harden, Clippers beat Nets to remain hot

NEW YORK — As hot as the Clippers have been the past few weeks, they weren’t likely to misfire against one of the worst teams in the NBA.

James Harden scored 31 points, Kawhi Leonard had 26 and the Clippers led wire-to-wire to beat the struggling Brooklyn Nets, 121-105, on Friday night.

Reserve guard Jordan Miller made his first six shots and added 21 points. John Collins had 16 for the Clippers (14-23), who bounced back from their loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday to win for the eighth time in 10 games. Leonard, questionable earlier in the day with a sprained right ankle, started slowly but had 19 points in the second half.

Rookie guard Egor Demin scored 19 points for the Nets (11-24), who lost on a buzzer-beater in overtime against Orlando on Wednesday. But it was quickly clear this one would never be close.

Michael Porter Jr. struggled to 18 points, going 0 for 9 from 3-point range.

The Clippers scored the first eight points, and after Nic Claxton made two free throws, Harden scored the next six in an 8-0 run that made it 16-2. Demin made a 3-pointer to snap Brooklyn’s 0-for-8 start, but then Leonard and Harden scored to make the Clippers 8 for 9 and give them a 21-5 lead.

The Clippers opened the second quarter with a 10-0 run to make it 45-25 on former Nets center Brook Lopez’s three-point play. The visitors led by 22 before taking a 63-47 halftime lead.

The Nets, playing four of their five first-round draft picks, often had at least one rookie on the floor and it appeared Harden was looking to punish any of them who tried to guard him. The three-time NBA scoring champion shot 10 for 13 from the field in recording his ninth 30-point game of the season, and when the Nets started sending a second defender at him, he found the open man and finished with six assists (and six turnovers).

Brooklyn outscored the Clippers 11-4 to begin the third quarter and get the margin back within single digits, but Leonard made a 3-pointer and the lead remained in double digits the rest of the way as the Clippers tied a season high by shooting 59.2% (45 for 76) while taking 24 fewer shots than Brooklyn (40%), which had 19 offensive rebounds.

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

Leonard, who shot 9 for 15 in his 19th consecutive game with at least 20 points, scored 11 straight Clippers points with Harden on the bench to finish it off, including a crafty reverse layup as part of a three-point play for a 106-84 lead with 6:41 left.

UP NEXT

The Clippers finish their three-game trip with a game against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. PT.