LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paul George made a 3-pointer with nine seconds remaining, giving the Clippers their first lead of the game, and Los Angeles hung on to edge the Golden State Warriors 113-112 on Saturday.
George led the Clippers with 25 points, six rebounds and six assists. James Harden added 21 points and Kawhi Leonard had 20.
After a timeout, Draymond Green missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Warriors made 17 3-pointers in the game, with four each by Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Curry led the Warriors with 22 points and 11 assists in his 900th NBA game. Green had 21 points and nine rebounds, and Moses Moody added 21 points and made 9 of 10 free throws.
The Clippers avenged a 120-114 loss to Golden State two days earlier in San Francisco.
After being down 10 points early in the fourth, the Clippers twice got within one.
The Warriors led 111-106 on a pair of free throws by Moody with 1:22 remaining. Harden scored to get the Clippers within striking distance before George’s big 3.
Thompson’s 3-pointer pushed Golden State’s lead to 98-88 early in the fourth. The Clippers ran off seven in a row to get within three.
Golden State’s Chris Paul missed his second straight game with left lower leg nerve contusion. Andrew Wiggins sat out with right finger soreness.
Led by Harden’s 15 points, the Clippers rallied from 22 points down to within two in the third. But Thompson hit a basket and a 3-pointer that kept the Warriors ahead 92-85 headed into the fourth.
The Warriors stretched their lead to 17 points in the second. The Clippers finally mustered a bit of momentum, outscoring Golden State 10-2 to cut their deficit to nine.
But Curry answered by scoring 10 of the Warriors’ final 12 points, hitting consecutive 3-pointers, to send them into halftime leading 67-48. Five players combined to make 12 of 22 3s in the half, when the Warriors had 19 assists.
The Warriors set the tone offensively with Green’s first 3-pointer to open the game. They hit seven 3s in the quarter, when they led by 13 points. Green sank back-to-back 3s that drew a loud reaction from a crowd that was full of Golden State fans. His four 3-pointers tied his career high for most in a quarter.
UP NEXT
Warriors: Host Portland on Wednesday.
Clippers: Host Denver on Wednesday, nine days after blowing an 11-point lead and losing to the Nuggets.
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