Sports
Brook Lopez and Darius Garland lead a late 7-0 run as the Clippers edge the Thunder 113-112 despite 40 from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Los Angeles scored the final seven points and Gilgeous-Alexander missed at the buzzer. Oklahoma City has lost three straight for the first time this season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points. It still was not enough for the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder.
Brook Lopez scored 26 and Darius Garland added 24 as the Los Angeles Clippers closed the game on a 7-0 run to beat the Thunder 113-112 in an NBA Cup game Friday night at Intuit Dome.
Gilgeous-Alexander had a chance to win it at the buzzer but missed a step-back jumper.
How the Clippers came back
Gilgeous-Alexander hit a leaning 3-pointer with just over three minutes left to put Oklahoma City up 110-106. Two Alex Caruso free throws made it 112-106 with 2:43 to go.
The Thunder did not score again.
Lopez hit a layup and a fadeaway jumper to pull the Clippers even closer. Garland then drove for a layup, drew a foul and made the free throw to give Los Angeles the lead for good with 50.4 seconds left.
Gilgeous-Alexander missed a step-back jumper with about 37 seconds to go. After a Clippers miss, he got one more look and came up short.
Big nights on both sides
Lopez made 11 of 21 shots with seven rebounds. Garland had seven assists to go with his 24 points.
Derrick Jones Jr. and rookie Keaton Wagler scored 14 each. Gradey Dick added 13 off the bench.
Gilgeous-Alexander made 15 of 26 shots. Jared McCain scored 23 and hit 7 of 11 from 3-point range. Isaiah Hartenstein had 21 points on 9 of 10 shooting with 16 rebounds.
A battle of runs
The Clippers led 57-44 at halftime as the Thunder made only 2 of 17 3-pointers in the first half.
Oklahoma City stormed back with a 40-25 third quarter to take an 84-82 lead into the fourth.
The Thunder are banged up
Oklahoma City played again without starters Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace. Rookie Aday Mara started next to Hartenstein and finished with 10 points and three blocks.
The Thunder have now lost three straight, their longest skid of the season. They are 0-3 on a four-game West Coast trip and fell to 8-5.
What's next
The Clippers improved to 3-8 and have won two of their last three after a 1-7 start. They host Charlotte on Sunday.
Oklahoma City wraps up its trip at Sacramento on Sunday.
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