Clippers beat Magic 96-87, Leonard returned and Harden played his best

April 1st, in today's NBA regular season, the Los Angeles Clippers challenged the Orlando Magic away. Clippers star Kawhi Leonard returned after missing the previous game, while the Magic were led by young core Paul Bankero . During the game, the two sides were deadlocked until the fourth quarter, and the Clippers finally defeated the Magic 96-87 and won this tough battle .

In this game, Magic player Bankero performed well, scoring a game-high 26 points, while Franz Wagner contributed 21 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. For the Clippers, Leonard scored 21 points and 8 rebounds, and Harden played comprehensively, contributing 20 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 steals and 2 blocks, making great contributions to the team's victory.

After the game started, both teams seemed to be slow to warm up on the offensive end, with low hit rates, resulting in a low score in the first quarter. Bankero started to exert his strength at the end of the first quarter, and led the Magic to control the rhythm in the second quarter. The team took a slight lead at the end of the half with a stable offense.

In the second half, the Clippers strengthened their defense, especially Harden, who performed well in steals and disrupted the Magic's offensive rhythm many times. At the same time, Zubac continued to create damage in the interior, providing stable offensive and defensive support for the Clippers. Although the Magic's Wagner suddenly broke out from the outside and hit three-pointers in a row to narrow the gap, the Clippers' overall offense and defense were more balanced, gradually overtaking the score.

After entering the fourth quarter, the game was still deadlocked, with both sides going back and forth, and the score was never pulled apart. At the critical moment, Leonard stepped forward and hit key shots many times, helping the Clippers to secure the victory at the last moment, and finally defeated the Magic 96-87 on the road.

Clippers player statistics

Leonard 21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, Powell 21 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, Harden 20 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 steals, 2 blocks, Zubac 18 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists, Dunn 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, Derrick Jones 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, Bogdanovic 5 points, 2 rebounds, Batum 4 rebounds, 1 assist

Magic player statistics

Bankero 26 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, Wagner Jr. 21 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, Pope 11 points, 3 rebounds, Joseph 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, Carter 9 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, 2 blocks, Blake 8 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals, Hustein 2 points, 3 rebounds, Isaac 3 rebounds, Gary Harris 1 rebound, 1 assist, Bitadze 1 rebound, 1 assist

After this game, the Clippers continue to consolidate their competitiveness in the West, and although the Magic lost, the performances of Bankero and Wagner are still worthy of recognition. In the next game, the Clippers will continue their Eastern Conference away trip, while the Magic need to adjust their status as soon as possible and strive to rebound in the next game.