Lou Williams scored 25 points from the bench on Monday as the Los Angeles Clippers upset the league-leading Golden State Warriors 121-116 in a wild overtime thriller at the Staples Center.
Williams reeled off 10 of his points in overtime to secure victory after the Clippers squandered a 14-point fourth-quarter lead before digging in for the win.
The 32-year-old veteran was supported by 23 points from the bench by Montrezl Harrell as the Clippers improved to 8-5 in the Western Conference standings.
Photo: AP
The Warriors remain on top of the West after suffering only their third loss of the season. The NBA champions are 11-3 following the defeat.
Kevin Durant led the scoring with 33 points, while Klay Thompson had 31, including five three-pointers.
The Warriors had trailed for much of the game, and appeared to be sliding toward a loss, before a determined fourth-quarter rally transformed the contest.
A Williams three-pointer had put the Clippers ahead by 101-87 with 6 minutes, 36 seconds remaining before the Warriors came roaring back.
Thompson tied the game at 106-106 with 1:27 left on the clock, but neither side were able to take a decisive advantage, sending the game into overtime.
Williams then took over with 10 points as the Clippers completed a morale-boosting victory.
Earlier on Monday, the Warriors’ loss was mirrored by a defeat for their Eastern Conference counterparts, the Toronto Raptors.
The Raptors suffered only their second defeat of the season in a 126-110 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans in Toronto. Anthony Davis had 25 points and 20 rebounds to lead a superb all-round offensive performance from the Pelicans, who saw four starters crack double digits.
New Orleans improved to 7-6 with the win, which was another sign that the Pelicans are back on track after a six-game losing streak which jolted their early season progress.
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