INGLEWOOD, Calif. - If there was any lingering doubt about which team is playing the best basketball in the league right now, the Clippers erased it - emphatically - on Sunday night.
From the moment the ball went up at Intuit Dome, this one was all Los Angeles. The Clippers didn’t just beat the Brooklyn Nets - they dismantled them.
The 126-89 final score doesn’t quite capture the level of control and dominance on display. This was a full-scale, wire-to-wire blowout that felt over before it ever really began.
The Clippers are rolling. Winners of 15 of their last 18 and nine of their last 11, they’ve transformed from early-season question mark to one of the most dangerous teams in the Western Conference.
At 21-24, they’re still 10th in the standings and six games back of the sixth seed, but the way they’re playing right now makes that climb feel less like a long shot and more like a matter of time. With matchups against Portland, Golden State, and Minnesota coming up, there’s a real opportunity to make a move before the All-Star break and trade deadline.
And on nights like this, it’s not hard to see why belief is growing inside that locker room.
The knockout punch came early - midway through the second quarter, to be exact. The Clippers uncorked a staggering 35-4 run that turned a promising start into a full-on rout.
Two minutes into the second period, the scoreboard read 47-14. Kawhi Leonard had already dropped 15.
James Harden was at 14. Brooklyn looked stunned.
Leonard led the charge with the kind of performance that reminds you exactly who he is: 28 points, five boards, and two assists in just 25 minutes. He shot 9-of-17 from the field and never looked hurried, never looked pressed. Just calm, clinical execution - the kind that lets you sit down early and ice your knees while the rest of the team finishes the job.
The Nets made a brief push late in the first half, trimming the lead with an 11-2 run. But Kobe Sanders drilled a buzzer-beater to close the half, restoring order and sending the Clippers into the break up 68-37. It was the perfect punctuation mark on a first half that belonged entirely to L.A.
What really stood out in this blowout? It wasn’t a barrage of threes.
In fact, both teams hit just five triples apiece in the first half. The Clippers did their damage the old-fashioned way - by dominating the paint, outscoring Brooklyn 32-14 inside.
They won with physicality, movement, and execution, not just hot shooting.
By the third quarter, the lead had ballooned to 40. Ty Lue had the luxury of emptying the bench early, and the level of play never dipped. Every active player logged at least seven minutes - a rare luxury in today’s NBA.
Harden was in full control, finishing with 19 points, six rebounds, and eight assists. He lived at the free-throw line, going a perfect 10-for-10, and punished mismatches all night.
Ivica Zubac quietly did his job, posting an efficient double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes. John Collins added 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting, continuing to show why he’s such a valuable piece in this rotation.
Off the bench, Jordan Miller delivered one of the most encouraging performances of the night. He poured in 16 points, grabbed seven boards, and shot 7-of-10 from the field - the kind of spark that gives a team real depth and flexibility down the stretch.
Defensively, the Clippers were locked in. Brooklyn shot just 29-of-85 from the field and a frigid 9-of-43 from beyond the arc. L.A. applied constant pressure on the perimeter, protected the rim, and never let up - the kind of defensive effort that fuels long winning streaks.
For the Nets, it was a night to forget. Rookie Egor Demin was the only starter to crack double digits.
Michael Porter Jr. struggled mightily, shooting just 3-of-11 and going 0-for-4 from deep. Former Clipper Terrence Mann returned to his old home but managed just eight points in 20 minutes - a fitting snapshot of a night that never tilted in Brooklyn’s direction.
Considering how rough the start to the season was, this version of the Clippers feels like a different team entirely. They haven’t just clawed their way back into the play-in picture - they’ve done it with swagger, chemistry, and increasingly dominant performances.
Sunday night wasn’t close. It wasn’t dramatic. But it was a statement - loud and clear.
Next up, the Clippers hit the road for a three-game swing: at Utah on Tuesday, Denver on Friday, and Phoenix on Sunday. Then it’s back home to host the 76ers on Monday, February 2. If they keep playing like this, that Western Conference standings board might start looking a whole lot different very soon.