LOS ANGELES, United States: Kawhi Leonard scored 33 points and Ivica Zubac added 28 on his 28th birthday on Tuesday as the Los Angeles Clippers rallied to hand the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers a second straight defeat, 132-119. The Cavs, the runaway leaders in the Eastern Conference, got off to a hot start as they launched a five-game road trip in Los Angeles, scoring 45 points in the first quarter on the way to a 73-68 halftime lead. But the Clippers, with coach Tyronn Lue absent because of back spasms, held the Cavs to 46 points in the second half in a gritty performance that saw Cleveland drop a second successive game for the first time since January. Max Strus scored 24 points to lead the Cavaliers, whose 16-game winning streak was ended Sunday by Orlando. “It’s my birthday, I had to bring it,” Zubac said, adding that the Clippers “wanted this one bad” as they chase the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves for sixth place in the West and direct entry into the playoffs. Golden State star guard Stephen Curry was a spectator as the Warriors rebounded from a Monday loss to Denver with a 104-93 victory over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in San Francisco. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said his “exhausted” superstar needed some rest after a lackluster performance in the loss to Denver. In Curry’s absence, Jimmy Butler scored 24 points, Brandin Podziemski added 17 as he started at guard, and the Warriors thwarted the Bucks’ second-half comeback bid. Draymond Green scored just three points but was a defensive force.
