Clippers Rally Past Pistons, Win 136-125
Morris, Kennard Lead Comeback Against Former Team
February 2, 2024
DETROIT -- Marcus Morris scored 31 points and Luke Kennard added 16 off the bench against their former team as the Los Angeles Clippers rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the Detroit Pistons 136-125 on Friday night.
Paul George finished with 32 points for the Clippers, who trailed 86-68 midway through the third quarter.
The Clippers have won five of their last six games and moved into a tie with the Memphis Grizzlies for third place in the Western Conference.
"We just stayed together," George said. "We didn't get discouraged when we got down. We kept fighting and kept chipping away, and eventually we were able to get the lead and close it out."
Morris and Kennard, who were both traded to the Clippers from the Pistons in 2022, played key roles in the comeback. Morris made 11 of 18 shots from the field and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Kennard hit 4 of 9 from 3-point range.
"It was a special night," Morris said. "I have a lot of great memories from my time in Detroit. It was good to come back here and play well."
The Pistons were led by Jaden Ivey, who scored 26 points. Bojan Bogdanovic added 24 points, and Isaiah Stewart had 18.
The Clippers took an early lead in the game, but the Pistons responded with a 14-0 run to take a 26-14 lead. The Pistons led by as many as 18 points in the second quarter, but the Clippers closed the half on a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to 68-62.
The Clippers continued to chip away at the lead in the third quarter, and they finally took their first lead of the game on a 3-pointer by Kennard with 3:34 remaining in the period. The Clippers never trailed again, and they extended their lead to 15 points in the fourth quarter.
"It was a great win for us," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. "We showed a lot of character and heart tonight. We never gave up, even when we were down by 18 points. We kept fighting and found a way to win."
The Clippers will host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena.
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