Clippers Roll Past Nets with Balanced Attack

The Los Angeles Clippers bounced back in a big way Friday night, cruising to a convincing 121-105 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center, and they did it by committee, just like they needed to.

Jan 9, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) controls the ball against Brooklyn Nets guard Terance Mann (14) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Jan 9, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) controls the ball against Brooklyn Nets guard Terance Mann (14) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Clippers bounced back in a big way Friday night, cruising to a convincing 121-105 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center, and they did it by committee, just like they needed to.

After dropping a tough one to the New York Knicks earlier in the week, the Clippers came out firing on all cylinders and never looked back, taking care of business in Brooklyn to improve to 14-23 on the season. 

The Nets, meanwhile, fell to 11-24 and dropped their fifth game in six tries.

Stars Shine Bright

James Harden led the way with 31 points on an efficient 10-for-13 shooting, adding six assists to his line and looking every bit like the three-time NBA scoring champion that he is. 

The 36-year-old point guard now averages 25.6 points and 8.0 assists per game this season and continues to prove he's got plenty left in the tank.

Kawhi Leonard added 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting, and while he started slow, he caught fire in the second half with 19 points to help the Clippers pull away. 

Leonard, who was questionable before the game with a right ankle sprain, showed no signs of the injury bothering him as he extended his streak of 20-point games to 19 straight contests. 

The six-time All-Star is now averaging 28.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game on the year.

Jordan Miller's Breakout Performance

But the story of the night was reserve guard Jordan Miller, who came off the bench and made his first six shots on his way to 21 points in a career-best performance. 

The second-year player out of Miami has been averaging just 5.1 points per game this season, but he showed Friday night that he's ready for a bigger role when his number is called.

"We're learning each other… trying to find ways to continue to get better," Harden said after the game, echoing the sentiment that had carried the Clippers through their recent hot stretch.

The win marked the eighth time in 10 games that Los Angeles has come out on top, showing that this team is starting to find its groove at the right time.

Hot Start Sets the Tone

The Clippers jumped out to a scorching start and never let Brooklyn get comfortable, scoring the game's first eight points and taking a 16-2 lead before the Nets even knew what hit them. 

Los Angeles continued to pour it on in the second quarter with a 10-0 run that pushed the lead to 45-25, and by halftime, the Clippers were up 63-47 and in full control.

While Brooklyn made a push at the start of the third quarter and cut the lead to single digits, Leonard answered with a three-pointer that kept the Nets at bay, and the margin stayed in double figures the rest of the way. 

John Collins added 16 points for the Clippers, who shot a blistering 59.2 percent from the field for the game and dominated on both ends of the floor, continuing his hot streak over the past ten games.

Looking Ahead to Saturday

With the Clippers set to face the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night in the second game of a back-to-back, all eyes will be on whether Leonard will play after dealing with the ankle issue. 

Leonard's status for the matchup against the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons remains uncertain, and the team may choose to give their star forward some rest after playing into the fourth against the Nets.

For now, though, the Clippers can enjoy a statement win that showed what they're capable of when everyone contributes, stars and role players alike playing their part in what's becoming a very successful stretch of basketball as they try to climb back into the Western Conference playoff picture.

Category: General Sports