Magic can't contain Kawhi Leonard in home loss to Clippers

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 15 of his 31 points in a big third quarter and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Orlando Magic 112-97 on Sunday night.

Leonard scored seven straight points for the Clippers in the quarter to help Los Angeles stretch a four-point lead to 10 as they pulled away to their sixth win in seven games.

Landry Shamel and Montrezl Harrell scored 19 points each fr the Clippers and Lou Williams added 15.

Leonard had 14 rebounds, leading Los Angeles to a 53-45 advantage.

Michael Carter-Williams came off the bench to lead Orlando with 15 points. Nikola Vucevic added 13 for the Magic, who have lost five of six. They shot 35.4 percent for the game.

Orlando led 37-26 after starting the second quarter on a 9-0 spurt. Williams’ three free throws started a 21-8 run that pulled the Clippers ahead, and Leonard’s scoring burst in the third quarter helped them expand their lead to 19.

The Magic didn’t get closer than seven again.

It was the Clippers’ 13th straight win over the Magic.

TIP-INS

Clippers: Williams (11 points) and Harrell (6) were the only Clippers to scored in a first-half stretch of more than 10 minutes. … F Paul George missed a ninth straight game with a hamstring injury. … G Patrick Beverley sat out a third straight game with a groin injury.

Magic: G D.J. Augustin missed a seventh game with a left knee injury. … F Maurice Harkless, who started for the Clippers, was in the Magic’s starting lineup on Nov. 6, 2013, the last time they beat the Clippers.

SUCCESSFUL (?) CHALLENGE

Magic coach Steve Clifford used his coach’s challenge with 8:09 left in the third quarter. The challenge was “successful” in overturning a foul called on Aaron Gordon, but the replay showed a foul on Khem Birch, and Kawhi Leonard got the two foul shots anyway.