John Collins delivered a standout bench performance with 24 points on efficient 7-of-8 shooting, fueling the Los Angeles Clippers to a commanding 109-91 preseason victory over the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on Wednesday night.
The Clippers jumped ahead early in the first quarter after a jump ball tip to James Harden set the tone. Kawhi Leonard connected on a pullup jumper to break a 2-2 tie, and Derrick Jones Jr. followed with a cutting dunk off an Ivica Zubac assist, building a 4-2 edge that grew to 26-18 by the buzzer.
Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis countered with eight points in the period, including a putback layup and driving dunk, but turnovers from DeMar DeRozan and Dennis Schroder hampered the hosts. Zubac grabbed key rebounds to limit second chances, helping the visitors maintain control.
Momentum shifted decisively in the second as Chris Paul orchestrated the offense with nine assists before halftime. Collins ignited a 14-2 run, capping it with an alley-oop dunk from Paul that pushed the margin to 43-24 midway through the frame.
Brook Lopez drained three triples for 12 points in the half, stretching the lead to 60-40 at intermission. Sabonis added seven more for the Kings, but Zach LaVine’s three steals couldn’t spark a comeback amid 10 turnovers.
The third quarter saw the Clippers extend their dominance, with Harden’s driving floaters and Jones Jr.’s alley-oop layup off a Harden pass lifting the score to 79-54 late in the period. Sabonis notched 15 points overall, assisting LaVine’s bank shot, yet Sacramento trailed by 29 entering the fourth.
Kings reserves mounted a late push in the final frame, as Nique Clifford tallied 19 points including a tip dunk and deep triple. DeRozan hit a 27-footer to trim the gap to 13, but Collins sealed the outcome with a cutting dunk, his fourth make in as many tries.
LaVine finished with 13 points and three steals for Sacramento, which fell to 0-3 in exhibitions.
The win improves Los Angeles to 2-1, showcasing depth from Collins and Lopez while Leonard added 15 points in 27 minutes. Harden contributed eight points and three assists despite a 4-of-10 night from the field.
