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Kawhi Leonard's clutch shot saves Clippers from embarrassing loss
LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) celebrates the game-winning shot in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Kawhi Leonard's clutch shot saves Clippers from embarrassing loss

Kawhi Leonard declared his Los Angeles Clippers are "not scared of nobody" going into the playoffs. Friday, his clutch shot saved the Clippers when the 16-win Indiana Pacers put a scare into them.

Leonard scored with one second left to give the Clippers a 114-113 win in a game they trailed 42-21 after a quarter. It gave the Clippers their fourth straight win and saved them from an embarrassing defeat to the NBA's worst team.

Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland made a dangerous duo

Leonard was instrumental in the Clippers' late-game push, scoring or assisting on 15 of the team's last 17 points. Darius Garland, acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers at midseason, scored eight points in the last 3:01 of the game, with Leonard assisting on two of Garland's late three-pointers.

L.A. remade their roster by dealing Harden and sending starting center Ivica Zubac to the Pacers for Bennedict Mathurin. It looked like the Clippers might be tearing down their team, but they've gone 15-10 since the Harden trade and are now 9-3 with Garland in the lineup. Garland scored 30 points on Friday and is shooting a scorching 51.6 percent from three-point range as a Clipper.

But in the final minute, Leonard was the Clippers' closer. He got into the lane for a seven-footer to get the Clippers within three points. After Garland hit two free throws, Leonard got to another seven-footer for the game-winning basket.

Indiana Pacers may have been happy to lose

The Pacers still had a chance to win or tie the game after a turnover, two missed free throws by Mathurin and what could have been a back-breaking foul call on center Brook Lopez, who fouled Jay Huff with 0.1 seconds to go. Huff proceeded to miss both freebies.

Pacers executives might be thrilled Huff missed. As part of the Zubac deal, the Clippers get the Pacers' 2026 first-round pick — but only if it falls between picks 5 and 9. Losing the game moves the Pacers one step closer to locking in the league's worst record and gives them a 52.1 percent chance of keeping their draft pick.

The Clippers needed two clutch shots from Leonard. The Pacers needed two clutch misses from Huff. Both players delivered in a very strange late-season NBA game.

Sean Keane

Sean Keane is a sportswriter and a comedian based in Oakland, California, with experience covering the NBA, MLB, NFL and Ice Cube’s three-on-three basketball league, The Big 3. He’s written for Comedy Central’s “Another Period,” ESPN the Magazine, and Audible. com

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