SportyTV | NBA: Doncic leaves early with leg contusion in Lakers' loss to Clippers

Kawhi Leonard scored a season-high 32 points and the slumping Los Angeles Clippers rode their 3-point shooting to a 103-88 victory over LeBron James and the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night, snapping a five-game skid.

Luka Doncic, the NBA's scoring leader, didn't return for the Lakers after halftime because of a lower leg contusion. He had 12 points and five rebounds in 19 minutes after missing his first six shots. Doncic was coming off a triple-double of 45 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists at Utah on Thursday.

James, who turns 41 on Dec. 30, led the Lakers with a season-high 36 points.

James Harden had 21 points and 10 assists for the Clippers. John Collins added 17 points and 12 rebounds.

The Clippers were 16 of 43 from 3-point range, with Leonard tying his season high with four, Harden making four and Brook Lopez hitting three off the bench. The Lakers missed 32 3-pointers, with James going 3 of 7, Doncic 1 of 6 and Marcus Smart missing all of his nine attempts.

W. pic.twitter.com/lDcRZ0kRBn
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) December 21, 2025

Rockets snap Nuggets' streak

Kevin Durant scored 31 points, Reed Sheppard scored the final 11 points of the third quarter to blow open a close game, and the Houston Rockets rolled past the Denver Nuggets 115-101.

Sheppard was 6 for 9 from long range and scored 28 points. His last bucket came on a steal and a slam after the Nuggets reserves had trimmed a 21-point deficit to 107-97 in the closing minutes.

The Rockets avenged a loss earlier in the week at Denver and snapped the Nuggets' six-game winning streak. Durant was 5 for 6 from 3-point range and Jabari Smith was 5 for 11 from long range for 22 points.

The Rockets shot 19 of 35 from long range (54%) to Denver’s 8 of 29 (27%).

Nikola Jokic led Denver with 25 points and Jamal Murray scored 16.

Nuggets coach Dave Adelman was ejected with 8:40 left in the game after arguing that Jokic should have gotten a whistle.

Watch KD put on a SHOW in the Mile High pic.twitter.com/JZ5YGkskUc
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) December 21, 2025

Cunningham powers Pistons

Cade Cunningham had a triple-double and Jalen Duren added 19 points and 11 rebounds as the Detroit Pistons beat the Charlotte Hornets 112-86.

Cunningham finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists despite sitting out the last four minutes as each coach emptied his bench.

Tobias Harris scored 19 points for Eastern-leading Detroit, which won for the seventh time in nine games. Duncan Robinson had 15 points and Ausar Thompson added 14 as all five starters finished in double figures for the Pistons, who missed 28 of 28 from 3-point range.

Kon Knueppel and Miles Bridges each scored 19 points for Charlotte, which had won five of its last nine after a 4-14 start. Brandon Miller finished with 14 points, but LaMelo Ball fouled out with eight points on 3-for-14 shooting.