Darius Garland scored 24 points and handed out 10 assists to help the Los Angeles Clippers defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 139-123 on Sunday night, ending a seven-game losing streak, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Brook Lopez added 20 points for the Clippers, who secured their first win since beating the Sacramento Kings in their season opener. Los Angeles struggled through losses while failing to hold double-digit fourth-quarter leads in previous outings, but turned things around on Sunday.
The Clippers opened the final period with a 15-6 run to seize a 117-101 advantage. Garland pushed the lead to 124-107 with 4:56 remaining by sinking three free throws.
Los Angeles shot a season-best 54.8% from the field. The team’s 139 points marked its highest single-game offensive output of the campaign.
Trey Murphy III led New Orleans with 26 points, while Zion Williamson and Jeremiah Fears each contributed 25. The defeat was the second straight for the Pelicans following a four-game winning streak.
Saddiq Bey finished with 13 points for New Orleans in the opening game of a two-game California trip. The visitors shot 50.6% from the floor but were held to 52 points in the paint after arriving with an NBA-best average of 61.6 points inside per contest.
Gradey Dick and rookie Keaton Wagler chipped in 15 points apiece for the Clippers. Rui Hachimura added 14 points to round out the balanced offensive effort.
The win provides relief for Los Angeles after an extended skid following their opening-night success against Sacramento.
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