Powell, Leonard help Clippers pull away from Hornets late for 112-104 victory

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Norman Powell scored 27 points, Kawhi Leonard added 21 points and nine rebounds, and the Los Angeles Clippers held off the pesky Charlotte Hornets 112-104 on Friday night.

All-Star James Harden finished with 14 points and 10 assists for the Clippers, while Ivica Zubac had 14 points and 11 rebounds.

The Clippers built a 10-point lead in the third quarter but couldn’t completely shake the Hornets (12-33) until late in the game.

Harden’s 3-pointer made it 102-95 with 6:06 to play and Leonard’s dunk with 1:45 to play gave the Clippers their biggest of the game at 110-99.

Miles Bridges had 27 points and nine rebounds for Charlotte. Vasa Micic scored 20 points.

The Hornets are 1-4 on their franchise-record, nine-game homestand that continues Saturday against Denver.

Clippers: The Clippers have won 13 straight games against the Hornets, with their last loss coming on Nov. 18, 2017, in Charlotte. L.A. leads the Hornets 42-25 in the all-time series.

Hornets: Friday’s game was originally to be the final matchup between the teams this season. But the California wildfires earlier this month postponed the Jan. 11 game at the Clippers. It will now be played on March 16.

After Charlotte got within 97-95 with 6:44 to play, Kevin Porter Jr. followed with a slam dunk of his own missed 3-pointer to spark a 7-0 run that also included a driving layup by Powell and a 3-pointer from Harden for a 104-95 lead. Charlotte got no closer than five the rest of the way.

The Clippers were 11 for 28 on 3-pointers and the Hornets just 7 for 30.

The Clippers visit Toronto on Sunday and the Hornets host Denver on Saturday.

This version corrects that Miles Bridges had 27 points. A previous version stated he had 25.

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Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green (10) drives for a dunk against Los Angeles Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. (55) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) looks to shoot against Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green (10) drives to the basket against Los Angeles Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. (55) as Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard watches during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) drives past Charlotte Hornets guard Seth Curry, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) pulls in a rebound between Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) and guard Nick Smith Jr., left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell (24) shoots over Charlotte Hornets forward Taj Gibson, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

NEW YORK (AP) — Jon Sterling, the theatrical New York Yankees broadcaster known for extravagant, individualized home run calls, has died, the team and radio station WFAN announced Monday. He was 87.

Sterling had undergone heart bypass surgery this winter and after the procedure was attended by health care aides at his home in Edgewater, New Jersey.

He had called 5,420 regular-season games plus 211 postseason games when he retired in April 2024 just after the season's start. Sterling broadcast 5,060 consecutive games from September 1989 through July 2019 after beginning with the Yankees as a pregame host. He came out of retirement to call Yankees games during the 2024 postseason.

Sterling's call for a player’s home run became as treasured a part of a Yankees identity as an initial set of pinstripes or a championship ring. As rookies prepared for debuts and former opponents arrived in trades, fans speculated how he would label the newcomer's first longball.

From “Bernie goes boom! Bern, baby, Bern!” for Bernie Williams, to “It’s a Jeter jolt!” for Derek to “It’s an A-bomb from A-Rod!” for Alex Rodriguez, “The Giambino!” for Jason Giambi and ”A thrilla from Godzilla!” for Hideki Matsui, Sterling created personal stamps resonating from the clubhouse to the bleachers.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

FILE - New York Yankees broadcaster John Sterling answers questions from reporters during a baseball press conference before a retirement ceremony at Yankee Stadium in New York, April 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray, file)