The Los Angeles Clippers have been fighting for their playoff lives down the stretch, and Sunday night in Sacramento they looked like a team that understood the assignment. LA handled the Kings 138-109, snapping a two-game losing streak and moving into a tie for eighth place in the Western Conference with four games to play.
It wasn't just the win that mattered, it was how they got it and being aggressive enough to throw the first punch. Darius Garland summed up the approach postgame.
"I thought it was pretty good tonight," Garland said. "Brought a lot of energy. Got some stops early, got out in transition, which helped a lot. And yeah, tried to throw the first punch, and it ended up in a win."
Apr 5, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; LA Clippers guard Darius Garland (center right) shoots against Sacramento Kings guard Devin Carter (22) during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn ImagesDefense Sparked Everything
The big improvement Sunday wasn't on the offensive end, it was the defensive intensity that set the tone. Kawhi Leonard came out of the gate on fire, scoring 13 points in the first quarter alone as the Clippers jumped out to a double-digit lead and never looked back.
That's the version of this team that can do some damage in the play-in. When they commit defensively and turn stops into easy buckets in transition, the offense flows naturally. When they don't, they look like a team that has no business being in the postseason picture. Sunday was the former, and it came at the right time.
Leonard finished with 26 points to lead LA. John Collins added 25, and Garland and Kobe Sanders each chipped in 17. The Clippers shot efficiently throughout, taking advantage of a Kings team that has little left to play for and even less defensive resistance to offer.
Play-In Picture Coming Into Focus
The Clippers entered Sunday night as the ninth seed, one game back of Portland for the eighth spot. With the win, they've pulled into a tie for eighth place, which is a big deal given the need to win two games in the play-in as ninth versus one as eighth.
LA has been one of the league's more remarkable turnaround stories this season. They were 6-21 before Christmas and have clawed their way back to relevance, currently sitting at 40-38 after Sunday's result. That doesn't happen without veteran leadership, and Leonard has been the anchor of all of it, carrying the offense night after night.
The Clippers host Dallas on Tuesday in what figures to be another pivotal game. With Portland and other teams still in the mix, LA can't afford to give back the ground they gained Sunday. The approach Garland described, bringing energy, getting stops, throwing the first punch, needs to carry over.