Kawhi Leonard, Paul George Rally Clippers Past DeMar DeRozan, Spurs for Win

The Los Angeles Clippers finished their season series with the San Antonio Spurs with a dramatic 108-105 victory on Monday at Staples Center.

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George spearheaded the latest effort, helping make sure L.A. won three of its four matchups with San Antonio in 2019-20. The Clippers are 35-15 overall following a second straight win and 4-1 in their last five games. They improved their home record to a Western Conference-best 21-5.

The Clippers exploded for a 9-0 run after trailing by five with less than three minutes remaining to seize control for good, and Leonard or George either scored or assisted on every point during the spurt.

As for the Spurs, they fell to 22-27 and saw their two-game winning streak come to an end. They remain outside of the playoff picture in 10th place and could miss the postseason for the first time since 1997.

Notable Player Stats

• LAC F Kawhi Leonard: 22 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two blocks
• LAC F Paul George: 19 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists
• SAS F LaMarcus Aldridge: 27 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two blocks
• SAS F DeMar DeRozan: 26 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals

Clippers' Pair Emerges in Battle of Dynamic Duos

Seeing a Clippers roster operating on all cylinders has been relatively rare this season since Leonard and George have missed time for various injuries, but they took over in crunch time and hinted at the overall potential this team has come the postseason.

The final few minutes are typically for stars, and the Clippers have two of them to handle the ball and draw the defense. Leonard dished out two straight assists—one to George and one to Patrick Beverley for a key three—to tie the game at 102 before he dunked on a George assist to give the home team the lead for good.

The best defensive combination of wings in the league took over the game on the offensive end and can continue doing so through their perimeter shooting and ability to attack the lane to score or create shots for a formidable supporting cast.

It was almost too late Monday, though, considering the DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge pairing was the best on the floor for extended stretches.

DeRozan poured in 21 points in the first half alone, attacking Los Angeles' highly regarded defense as the Spurs built a double-digit lead. It was more of the same for the USC product, who averaged 32.7 points a night in his previous three games.

With the Clippers focused on DeRozan in the second half, Aldridge shifted into takeover mode with his vintage fadeaways and even two three-pointers.

San Antonio pounded it down low possession after possession in the fourth quarter, and the veteran responded by hitting fadeaways over Montrezl Harrell and even Leonard.

The performance came after an executive told Jabari Young of CNBC the Spurs are "100 percent obsessed with getting that eighth seed." If there is a silver lining from the loss, it is the fact that Monday's outing from the team's two leaders will be enough to beat most teams in the league as San Antonio battles for the playoffs.

Most teams don't have Leonard and George.

What's Next?

The Spurs play again at Staples Center on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers, while the Clippers host the Miami Heat on Wednesday.