For just the third time this season, the Cleveland Cavaliers dropped back-to-back games, falling 132-119 to the surging Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. Kawhi Leonard matched his season-high with 33 points, while Ivica Zubac celebrated his 28th birthday with a dominant 28-point, 20-rebound performance as the Clippers pulled away in the second half.
LA saw four players score 20 or more points—Leonard, Zubac, James Harden (22 points, 9 assists), and Bogdan Bogdanovic (20 points on a perfect 8-for-8 shooting). “We’re finding our rhythm, getting healthy. We can be a really good team when we’re healthy,” said Zubac postgame.
Max Strus led Cleveland with 24 points and five threes, while Donovan Mitchell added 18 points and 11 assists as the Cavs opened a tough five-game West Coast swing.
Despite the loss, Cleveland remains atop the Eastern Conference, though their lead over the Celtics has narrowed to 6.5 games. The Clippers, meanwhile, have now won four straight and six of their last seven, inching closer to a top-six playoff spot in the West and staying a half-game behind Minnesota for 7th.