Paul George’s 41 points lead the Clippers to victory over the Hornets

March 31, 2024

Paul George knocked down eight three-pointers and finished with a season-high 41 points, leading the Clippers to a 130-118 over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday for their fifth straight road win.

George made 14 of 21 shots from the field and eight of 12 from beyond the arc to help the Clippers beat the Hornets for the 12th consecutive time.

Ivica Zubac had 24 points and 12 rebounds while Kawhi Leonard chipped in with 23 points for the Clippers (47-27).

Miles Bridges scored 33 points, making seven threes, and Brandon Miller had 22 for Charlotte (18-56), which has lost eight of nine and continues to limp toward the season’s finish line.

The Clippers entered the game in fourth place in the Western Conference and were looking to improve their potential playoff seeding. They built a 12-point halftime lead behind George, who had 22 points on eight-of-13 shooting, including five threes as he scored with ease while defended by the rookie Miller.

Los Angeles held a double-digit lead for most of the second half and Norman Powells driving layup for an and-one pushed the lead to 17 with 10 minutes left.

The Hornets would make a run behind three straight three-pointers by Davis Bertans, a driving layup by Grant Williams and a three from Miller to cut the lead to six with 5 minutes left. But Powells three-pointer from the left wing pushed the lead back to 10 and gave the Clippers some breathing room.

The Clippers, who outrebounded the Hornets 41-31, wrap up a four-game road trip at Sacramento on Tuesday night.