Darius Garland completed a go-ahead three-point play with 50.4 seconds remaining, and Brook Lopez scored a team-high 26 points as the Los Angeles Clippers rallied for a 113-112 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday at Inglewood, Calif.
Derrick Jones Jr. and rookie Keaton Wagler each added 14 points as the Clippers won for the second time in three games following a 1-7 start.
Garland finished with 24 points as the Clippers took their first fourth-quarter lead on his late three-point play. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a chance to win the game for Oklahoma City, but his jumper at the buzzer missed.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points and Jared McCain added 23 for the short-handed Thunder, who lost their third straight game. Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 21 points and a game-high 16 rebounds.
Oklahoma City started 7-footers Hartenstein and rookie Aday Mara together, with Mara adding 10 points and three blocked shots.
Both teams are now 1-1 in NBA Cup play.
The Clippers erased a 112-106 deficit over the final 2:43. Lopez scored on an inside basket with 2:21 remaining and added a pullup jumper nearly a minute later before Garland completed the decisive three-point play.
Los Angeles built a 57-44 lead at halftime while shooting just 40.0%, finishing at 45.5% for the game.
The Thunder shot just 39.1% in the first half before outscoring the Clippers 40-25 in the third to take an 84-82 lead.
Oklahoma City was without Chet Holmgren (knee), Jalen Williams (leg) and Cason Wallace (shoulder), all of whom have not played since the Thunder’s home victory over the Clippers on Oct. 25. In addition, Jaylin Williams (back) missed his sixth consecutive game and Ajay Mitchell (ankle) missed his second.
–Field Level Media
