Kawhi Leonard Leads Clippers to Dominant Win vs. Steph Curry-Less Warriors

Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points as the Los Angeles Clippers got back on the winning track with a 131-107 road victory over the Golden State Warriors at San Francisco's Chase Center on Tuesday.

Leonard added five assists and four rebounds for the Clips, who saw seven players score in double digits.

The Clips used a 41-point second quarter to take a 76-48 halftime lead. They led 111-77 going into the fourth.

The 44-20 Clippers bounced back after the L.A. Lakers beat them 112-103 on Sunday to end their six-game win streak.

The Clippers also extended their lead over the Denver Nuggets for second place in the Western Conference to a full game.

The Warriors, who had won two of their last three entering Tuesday, fell to 15-50. They played without Stephen Curry (flu) and Draymond Green (knee).

Golden State was led by Dragan Bender's 23 points in 25 minutes off the bench.

Notable Performances

Clippers F Kawhi Leonard: 23 PTS, 5 AST, 4 REB

Clippers F Paul George: 15 PTS, 5 AST

Clippers PG Patrick Beverley: 15 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST

Warriors F Dragan Bender: 23 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST

Warriors F Andrew Wiggins: 21 PTS, 3 AST, 2 REB

Warriors G Jordan Poole: 17 PTS, 3 REB, 1 STL

Clippers Starters Enjoy Different Version of Load Management

The Clippers are rolling through nearly every NBA team in the league as their new rotation featuring the additions of Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris has won seven of eight, with the lone exception being against the first-place L.A. Lakers.

They've beaten four surefire playoff teams during that stretch (the Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder) by an average of 16.25 points per game.

Barring any late-season drama, the Clips look like they're going to slide into the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, setting up a potential battle for L.A. with the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

The Clippers have never reached that round in their franchise history, which dates back to days as the Buffalo Braves in the 1960s and 1970s. A long road awaits once the spring hits, but the Clippers should be well-rested before they endure that run.

That's the case for two reasons.

First, Leonard has sat games because of load management on occasion, so he should be good to go for the playoffs.

Second, at this rate, the Clippers are going to be practicing load management of another kind.

No Clipper starter played more than 25 minutes Tuesday, and Leonard was the only one to see the court for more than 23. They were all out before the third quarter ended, and by that time, the Clips had opened up a 34-point edge.

This isn't an unusual sighting of late, though. No one in the rotation played more than 25 minutes in a 27-point win over the Memphis Grizzlies or a 29-point victory against the Nuggets.

They're even afforded some extra time in non-blowouts, with no one taking the court for more than 30 minutes in a 120-105 win against the Rockets.

At this juncture, the Clippers are going to be the most well-rested team come playoff time. They go 10 deep with a talented group of players with diverse skill sets, so no one is relied upon too heavily for anything for an extended period.

Better yet for L.A., more blowouts with shortened court times should still be on the way. Tankathon lists the Clips with the fourth-weakest remaining schedule, with a handful of matchups against Eastern Conference teams playing out the string of lost seasons.

Ultimately, the Clippers should be in great form leading into the playoffs, which is bad news for the rest of the NBA.

What's Next?

The Clippers will begin a three-game homestand against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET. The Dubs will host the Nets first, with their game slated for Thursday at 10:30 p.m. ET.