The late US Rep. Sylvester Turner is honored by mourners as he lies in state

Mourners in Houston paid tribute to the late U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas as he lay in state at city hall Tuesday, part of a week of public events to honor the Democratic lawmaker and former mayor.

Turner, 70, died on March 5, just weeks into his first term in the House and only hours after attending President Donald Trump's address to Congress in Washington. His family said he died at his home following health complications. In 2022, Turner publicly shared that he had undergone surgery and radiation therapy that year for bone cancer in his jaw.

Residents observed a memorial at Houston City Hall, where Turner served as mayor for eight years before being elected to Congress in November. Houston Mayor John Whitmire made brief remarks to mourners and the Houston Symphony performed while visitors paid their respects.

“Sylvester knew each and every community, and he treated everyone with equality and inclusion," Whitmire said. "That’s what made him really special. He brought that public service and that message across not only our great city, but our great state.”

Turner had filled the House seat held by longtime Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who died in July. Prior to becoming mayor, Turner served as a legislator in the Texas House of Representatives for 27 years.

Turner is also scheduled to lie in state at the Texas Capitol beginning Thursday. His funeral is scheduled for Saturday in Houston.

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has not yet announced when a special election will be held for Turner's seat.

People pay their respects as the remains of U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas lie in state at Houston City Hall on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

People pay their respects as the remains of U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas lie in state at Houston City Hall on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

People pay their respects as the remains of U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas lie in state at Houston City Hall on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Vanessa Graham-Morgan cries as she waits to pay her respects to former mayor and U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner as he lies in state at Houston City Hall in Houston, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

People pay their respects as the remains of U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas lie in state at Houston City Hall on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Ashley Turner-Captain, center, views the remains her father, of U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas, as he lies in state at Houston City Hall on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Houston. At left is her husband, Jimmie Captain. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Ashley Turner-Captain and her husband, Jimmy, pay their respects to her father, former mayor and U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner as he lies in state at City Hall in Houston, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

People pay their respects as the remains of U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas lie in state at Houston City Hall on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Ashley Turner-Captain, center, views the remains her father, of U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas, as he lies in state at Houston City Hall on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Houston. At left is her husband, Jimmie Captain. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

People offer their respects as the remains of U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas lie in state at Houston City Hall on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Mayor John Whitmire, left, pay his respects as the remains of U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas lie in state at Houston City Hall on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Mayor John Whitmire, center left, and his daughter, Whitney Whitmire, pay their respects as the remains of U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas lie in state at Houston City Hall on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Police officer Paul Powel, a member of the mayoral security detail, left, and Jeff Syptek embrace as an honor guard gathers for former Houston Mayor and U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner to be carried into City Hall where he will lie in state in Houston, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Brett Coomer /Houston Chronicle via AP)

City Hall is lit up in blue in honor of former Mayor and U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner where he will lie in state in Houston, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Brett Coomer /Houston Chronicle via AP)

Former Houston Mayor and U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner is carried into City Hall where he will lie in state in Houston, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Brett Coomer /Houston Chronicle via AP)

Former Houston Mayor and U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner is carried into City Hall where he will lie in state in Houston, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Brett Coomer /Houston Chronicle via AP)

Former Houston Mayor and U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner is carried into City Hall where he will lie in state in Houston, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Brett Coomer /Houston Chronicle via AP)

FILE - Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner speaks during a news conference Nov, 6, 2021, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke, File)

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Close to grabbing a franchise record all for himself, Kawhi Leonard elected to take a pass in order to be fresh for another day.

Team-oriented to the core, Leonard was actually a bit selfish by request Sunday, scoring a career-high 55 points to lift the Los Angeles Clippers to a 112-99 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons.

The Clippers are now on a season-best four-game winning streak and a recent scoring burst from Leonard is the primary reason.

Leonard was told by head coach Tyronn Lue he was closing in on the franchise scoring record but decided to keep his fourth-quarter floor time to a modest six minutes and departed with just under a minute remaining.

He now shares the team mark for points in a game with teammate James Harden.

“Like I told (Lue), I would rather play another game than go out there and risk it,” Leonard said. “Hopefully we can get another win and be in the same situation. It is what it is.”

Harden teased Leonard afterward that it took him long enough to pull off a 50-point game, while also shouting “double nickels,” in the locker room afterward. Leonard is in his 14th season.

“It was a beautiful thing to see how efficient, how effortless it was,” Harden said. “It was just so smooth. He got to whatever spot he wanted to and once you get to that spot it’s not even about the defender. It’s about him making the shot.

“Overly happy for him because behind the scenes you watch somebody and how hard they work. ... For him, what he had to battle through just to go out there and be himself was a beautiful thing to see.”

Slowed by knee injuries in recent years, Leonard missed 10 games earlier this season with ankle and foot issues. He finally reached 40 minutes in a game during a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers last week that started the winning streak. He did it again in a victory Friday.

He went 17 of 26 from the floor against the Pistons and 16 of 17 from the free-throw line while playing 39 minutes.

“He’s finally getting healthy and finally being able to play enough minutes to be very effective,” Lue said. “When he’s healthy, he’s one of the top guys in the league. We’ve been able to see that of late.”

With a 41-point game Tuesday against the Houston Rockets, Leonard is the second player in franchise history to score at least 40 points in back-to-back home games along with Bob McAdoo.

Leonard scored 26 points in the third quarter alone Sunday, but he also missed his lone free throw of the night in the period. It not only was the point he needed to set the franchise scoring record, the miss ended his franchise-record run at 64 consecutive made free throws.

“I’ve never really kind of been in this situation,” said Leonard, who is averaging 39.0 points over the last four games. “I’m more trying to get guys the ball and sharing it more than what I have been doing. But the coaches need me to be aggressive the entire game.

“It’s just a different evolution of me trying to shoot more 3s and trying to evolve my game to today’s game.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard controls the ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) drives the ball while under pressure from Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard dunks during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard controls the ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)