Dejounte Murray scored 21 points with 10 assists and De’Andre Hunter added 20 points as the visiting Atlanta Hawks ended a three-game losing streak with a 110-93 victory Sunday over the Los Angeles Clippers
Jalen Johnson scored 18 points with 12 rebounds and Clint Capela added 15 points and 13 rebounds as the Hawks (30-37) improved to 6-5 since leading scorer Trae Young went down with a finger injury that required surgery.
The Hawks continue to hold on to the final play-in tournament spot in the Eastern Conference, with Young expected back before the season ends.
Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points and Paul George added 26 for the Clippers (42-25), but James Harden had just nine points after missing the previous two games with a left shoulder strain. After Los Angeles temporarily held the top spot in the Western Conference last month, the team is clinging to the No. 4 slot.
Harden still managed to move into 20th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, passing Vince Carter, with 25,730 career points.
The Clippers never led after the first quarter while losing for the fourth time in their past five games. One of the top 3-point shooting teams in the NBA, Los Angeles was 11-of-36 (30.6 percent) from distance, while the Hawks were 17-of-34 (50 percent).
The Clippers tied the score 29-29 near the end of the first quarter but shot just 26.1 percent from the floor in the second quarter, while scoring 15 points, and trailed 61-44 at halftime.
Atlanta led by as many as 27 points in the third quarter, took a commanding 88-62 advantage into the final period and never were threatened from there.
The Clippers, who once dealt with trying to integrate Harden into the mix after an early-season trade, are now dealing with a rash of injuries as top reserve Norman Powell sat out with a contusion to his lower left leg. In addition to Harden, Leonard and George have missed games of late, while Russell Westbrook (hand) is out for an extended period.
–Field Level Media