NBA roundup: Kawhi Leonard erupts for 41 points in Los Angeles Clippers win in Minnesota

[p]The 34-year-old forward, a two-time NBA champion, matched the second-best road scoring effort of his career as the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-clippers/vPeTYlqm/"]Clippers[/a] improved to 25-27.[/p][p]"[b]Just being aggressive. My teammates trust me[/b]," [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leonard-kawhi/d4zqZuLO/"]Leonard[/a] said. "[b]Every moment when I touch the ball - assist, shooting the basketball or getting a rebound - I'm just trying to help the team win.[/b]"[/p][p]Leonard made three steals in a row [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/los-angeles-clippers-vPeTYlqm/minnesota-timberwolves-KjBIVQcI/?mid=vXOKydaK"]at the start of the contest[/a].[/p][p]"[b]Just wanted to come out early in the game and set a tone for us on the defensive end,[/b]" Leonard said. "[b]I reached for the ball, I got it and we got off in transition.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="995789b6-5612-4303-980a-edb225b7bb1d" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2020637061427204532?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]After dealing away [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/harden-james/zm5V3CZo/"]James Harden[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zubac-ivica/8QnVd2Zh/"]Ivica Zubac[/a] at the NBA trade deadline, the Clippers played with spark as they awaited the arrival of new players.[/p][p]"[b]We've got a good group,[/b]" Leonard said. "[b]Guys are level-headed. They love to play basketball. We're just going out and competing every night[/b]."[/p][p]Leonard delivered 24 points in the first half on the way to his fourth 40-point performance of the season for the Clippers, who closed the second quarter with a 20-6 run for a 54-42 half-time lead and never looked back.[/p][p]Days after French big man [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gobert-rudy/boMyt82G/"]Rudy Gobert[/a] had called out teammates for "unacceptable" poor effort, the T-Wolves struggled again with their second-fewest points in any game this season.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/edwards-anthony/6u0BMZM2/"]Anthony Edwards[/a] led [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/minnesota-timberwolves/KjBIVQcI/"]Minnesota[/a] with 23 points while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/randle-julius/lhl0euwn/"]Julius Randle[/a] added 17.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dunn-kris/ChEiqeDd/"]Kris Dunn[/a] of the Clippers was ejected late in the fourth quarter after shoving Randle in the back to spark a shoving match that was broken up by teammates.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brunson-jalen/YLRvL3v7/"]Jalen Brunson[/a] produced game highs of 31 points and eight assists to spark the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-knicks/WCNO4nbt/"]New York Knicks[/a] over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/boston-celtics/KYD9hVEm/"]Boston[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/boston-celtics-KYD9hVEm/new-york-knicks-WCNO4nbt/?mid=6TTQFEx1"]111-89[/a] for their ninth win in 10 games.[/p][embed guid="3c9ceac5-cbb4-481f-b238-e79fb2c6d910" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2020594031139664055?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Brunson hit 12-of-21 shots from the floor and 4-of-8 from three-point range for the visiting Knicks, who improved to 34-19 to match Boston for second in the Eastern Conference.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hart-josh/Cjknv7yj/"]Josh Hart[/a] added 19 points for New York while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alvarado-jose/hOlBVHj1/"]Jose Alvarado[/a] had 12 off the bench in his Knicks debut and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/towns-karl-anthony/8np46E9P/"]Karl-Anthony Towns[/a] contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brown-jaylen/l88NjhUb/"]Jaylen Brown[/a] led Boston with 26 points as the Celtics settled for a season low in points.[/p][p]The Knicks ended the third quarter with a 15-3 run for an 85-68 lead and cruised from there, the Celtics going 0-for-10 from three-point range in the third quarter.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/miami-heat/CQ7AXnT5/"]Miami[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/adebayo-bam/IPZuNhhs/"]Bam Adebayo[/a] scored 22 points and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/powell-norman/h0afAHmc/"]Norman Powell[/a] added 21 to lead the Heat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/miami-heat-CQ7AXnT5/washington-wizards-W6vGWPsn/?mid=nwxZDh7D"]in a 132-101 triumph[/a] at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/washington-wizards/W6vGWPsn/"]Washington[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/toronto-raptors/CxtbCMdU/"]Toronto[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barnes-scott/EuVVM62p/"]Scottie Barnes[/a] scored 25 points and grabbed 14 rebounds while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barrett-r-j/AoZEtF3g/"]RJ Barrett[/a] added 20 points to lead the Raptors (32-22) over visiting [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/indiana-pacers/YPohMUTt/"]Indiana[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/indiana-pacers-YPohMUTt/toronto-raptors-CxtbCMdU/?mid=E1cVixQb"]122-104.[/a][/p][p]Former Raptors star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/siakam-pascal/bcOia8CS/"]Pascal Siakam[/a] of Cameroon scored 18 points to lead Indiana (13-40), which suffered a fourth loss in a row.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/basketball/usa/nba/"]Follow all of the NBA action on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]