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The Los Angeles Clippers are on a five-game winning streak over the weekend against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The Clippers started the Eastern Conference’s six-game road swing with a 120-to-113 win over the Atlanta Hawks by 32 points over Kawhi Leonard.<\/p>\n
It’s the fifth time Leonard has scored 30 or more points in his last nine games. Los Angeles is 6-0 this season, and he’s scored his 30-plus points.<\/p>\n
Leonard had six Clippers in double figures in Atlanta. Paul George is a strong all-rounder with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists.<\/p>\n
“We’re just taking steps to grow as a team,” George said after the win. “We share the ball. We play the right way. We play for each other.” I think the defense has been influential, and it’s starting to affect the game.”<\/p>\n
He said, “I was giving up a lot of points when I went through a stretch where I didn’t play well. I’m starting to cut it.”<\/p>\n
Los Angeles endured a six-game losing streak as part of a 2-9 run before their current winning streak. The Clippers lost 7 of 9 and he scored 110 or less.<\/p>\n
Leonard has played a key role in Los Angeles and found that groove on the offense, but the five-time All-NBA performer has yet to play back-to-back this season as he recovers from injury.<\/p>\n
If he misses Sunday, that could be a factor in hindering the best defense in the NBA.<\/p>\n
The Cavaliers have a league-low 39.2 field goals per game and hold opponents to a league-low 107.1 points.<\/p>\n
Cleveland allowed the Clippers 40 field goals on Nov. 7, the day the teams last faced each other, 17 of them from the 3-point range, more than 5 more than the Cavaliers’ season yield per game. I got<\/p>\n
Los Angeles won the contest 119-117 by 26 points over George.<\/p>\n
Cleveland has dropped four of its last six, including a 112-100 loss to the hosts Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, heading into a rematch with a minor slump. The setback ended his three-game road swing for the Cavaliers, and he’s been home for three straight games since Sunday.<\/p>\n
Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen said of the Thunder’s 34-22 scoring prowess in the fourth quarter, “We just couldn’t finish it,” according to Cleveland.com. “We didn’t make a lot of shots offensively and defensively it felt like we were constantly scrambling. It’s just a mix of two things that we didn’t get it. is.”<\/p>\n
Cleveland was without both veteran forward and sparkplug Kevin Love and 2023 All-Star Game starter Donovan Mitchell on Friday. Love is routinely listed for a back injury and Mitchell is routinely considered for a groin injury.<\/p>\n
Mitchell, who averages 28.3 points per game, has missed five of Cleveland’s last six games as the Cavaliers are 2-3.<\/p>\n
Mitchell scored 30 points in his last game against Los Angeles. It’s one of his 18 games to reach 30 this season.<\/p>\n
–Field level media<\/p>\n
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