The Los Angeles Clippers made it three wins in three as they defeated the Indiana Pacers 130-107 on Wednesday night.
It was Bennedict Mathurin’s first game against his former team, and he scored 23 points on 8-for-11-shooting – the second-most points, while showing aggression in getting to the rim, and decent work, off the ball.
Kawhi Leonard hit 29 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists, the most of any player in the game, alongside Pascal Siakam.
He scored 12 points on 5 of 8 shooting including 2 of 3 three-pointers in the first quarter alone, but the Pacers cut a 20-point deficit down to six points in the third quarter.
Kawhi continued to make shots to prevent a Pacers come back. His nine points in the third quarter helped the Clippers win 39-26, including a 29-5 run at a point. This run turned the six-point deficit to a 30-point deficit.
Pascal Siakam showed his levels once again, as he played for the first time since his wrist injury in February, He was the Pacers’ most potent weapon on the offense, scoring 29 points on 8 of 14 shooting including 1 of 3 from the 3-point range and was surprisingly effective at the line where he has sometimes proved to struggle. He made 12 of 14 foul shots.
This result was the Pacers’ seventh straight loss, and meant that they fell to 15-47, and and sit bottom of the Eastern Conference. The Clippers climbed to 30-31 and are in ninth in the West, one back of the Golden State Warriors who are eighth.
Norchad Omier had only one basket in the game, but made history. According to the Clippers, he became the first Nicaraguan to score in the NBA.
