Caris LeVert had 27 points and 13 assists, leading the Brooklyn Nets to a 129-120 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday near Orlando.
Joe Harris scored 23 of his 25 points in the first half before fouling out late in the contest. Tyler Johnson scored 21 points, Garrett Temple added 19, and Jarrett Allen finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Nets (34-36).
Kawhi Leonard had 39 points, six assists and four steals for the Clippers. Lou Williams scored 18 points, while Marcus Morris Sr. contributed 15. Terance Mann chipped in 14.
The Clippers (47-23), playing the second game of back-to-back contests, rested All-Star forward Paul George. Clippers guard Patrick Beverley (calf) missed his third straight contest.
The Nets held a double-digit lead for much of the fourth quarter before a four-point play by Morris cut the advantage to 120-114 with 1:54 left. After the two teams traded scoring possessions, Johnson made two foul shots with 59.5 seconds remaining to seal the win for the Nets.
Eleven straight points by Leonard to open the third allowed Los Angeles to tie the score at 74 less than three minutes into the quarter. After the two clubs exchanged 3-pointers, Brooklyn went on a 15-6 run for a 92-83 lead after a dunk by Rodions Kurucs with 4:26 remaining in the third.
But the Clippers rallied again, cutting the deficit to 95-94 on a 3-pointer by Williams at 1:40 left before the Nets took a 98-94 lead heading into the fourth.
The Nets roared to a 45-24 by the end of the first quarter by converting 18 of 21 shots from the floor — including 8 of 10 3-pointers. LeVert (17 points) and Harris (16) combined to outscore the Clippers by nine in the quarter.
Brooklyn led 74-63 at the break.
The Nets outshot the Clippers 55.3 percent to 48.4 percent for the game. They also connected on 20 of 43 3-pointers compared to 13 of 36 for the Clippers.
–Field Level Media
