Clippers Blow 18-Point Lead, Fall to Pelicans 124-109 on Wednesday Night
Mar 18, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans during second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images NEW ORLEANS - The Los Angeles Clippers built an 18-point lead in the first quarter on Wednesday night and looked like a team ready to snap out of a slump, but then everything fell apart in a 124-109 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center that extended their losing streak to three straight and dropped them to 34-35 on the season. For a team fighting for its life in the Western Conference play-in race, this was the kind of collapse that should have the whole locker room concerned.
Kawhi Returns, but the Collapse Continues Kawhi Leonard was back in the starting lineup after sitting out Monday's loss to San Antonio with a left ankle sprain, and he came out aggressive, helping the Clippers race out to a 27-18 lead behind sharp shooting and physicality on both ends. He finished with 25 points on 4-of-6 from three along with eight rebounds, but even with Leonard playing well, the Clippers could not hold on to a lead that once seemed totally comfortable. The new-look starting five of Darius Garland, Leonard, Derrick Jones Jr.
, John Collins and Brook Lopez had Los Angeles up 40-26 after one quarter and gave the early impression that a bounce-back game was on the way. That feeling did not last long. The Pelicans Took Over New Orleans slowly worked its way back in the second quarter, tying the game at 58 before halftime and then blowing the doors open in a third period where they outscored the Clippers 36-25.
Saddiq Bey was the biggest problem all night, pouring in 25 points on 5-of-10 from deep while Trey Murphy III added 23 points and seven rebounds alongside him. Dejounte Murray ran the show with 10 assists, and Herbert Jones created havoc on the other end with five steals. A 16-4 run in the fourth quarter sealed it for the Pelicans, who are just 24-46 on the year but have been playing some of their best basketball lately as winners of six out of their last eight games.
Three Straight Losses Is a Problem The Clippers were on a 7-1 run not long ago before dropping games to Sacramento, San Antonio, and now New Orleans in a stretch that has undone a lot of the progress they built over the last few weeks. Two of those losses came at home, and now they opened a road trip by giving up a huge lead to one of the worst teams in the West. At 34-35 and sitting eighth in the conference, the Clippers are right on the edge of the play-in tournament and do not have the luxury of nights like this.