Reggie Jackson and Brandon Boston Jr. each scored 19 points as the Los Angeles Clippers pulled away with a strong fourth quarter to defeat the host Charlotte Hornets 115-90 on Sunday afternoon.
Marcus Morris Sr. added 16 points, Luke Kennard had 14 points and Justise Winslow supplied 13 points for the Clippers. Jackson and Kennard each made three 3-pointers.
LaMelo Ball poured in 23 points to go with 10 assists and Miles Bridges had 18 points for Charlotte, which shot just 8 of 34 on 3-pointers. Starters Terry Rozier and Mason Plumlee, who had 10 rebounds, each chipped in with 10 points.
The Hornets had a two-game winning streak snapped, unable to successfully follow up Friday night’s triumph against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Charlotte’s injury-depleted roster turned out to be a problem. The Clippers ended up with a 62-21 advantage in bench scoring. Off the bench, P.J. Washington and James Bouknight each scored 10 points, but guard Ish Smith, who had 22 points in the team’s previous game, was scoreless in 15 minutes.
The Hornets were without Gordon Hayward, who is in the health and safety protocol. They also were hindered by going 18 of 27 at the foul line and shot 52.4 percent from the field.
The Clippers are 4-3 on their long road trip, which concludes Monday in Indiana.
This marked the third time this month that a sub.-.500 team defeated the Hornets in Charlotte, with Orlando and Atlanta also pulling that off. The Clippers moved to .500 with the win.
The Clippers led 51-47 at halftime before a tightly contested third quarter. Los Angeles took an 84-76 lead to the fourth quarter, courtesy of a 7-0 run across the final 48 seconds.
Then Kennard opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer as the Clippers were on the way to climbing to a 16-point lead in the next few minutes.
Los Angeles held a 58-46 edge in rebounding, with Kennard and Ivica Zubac both grabbing 10 boards.
–Field Level Media
