Leonard-less Raptors deal Clippers worst loss of season

LOS ANGELES — Serge Ibaka had 25 points and nine rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors cruised past the Los Angeles Clippers, 123-99, on Tuesday night (Wednesday Manila time) without injured Kawhi Leonard.

Kyle Lowry added 21 points, making four of the Raptors' 14 3-pointers.

Leonard sat out with a bruised right hip that he hurt against Milwaukee last Sunday. Toronto's leading scorer with 26.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game is day-to-day.

The Clippers endured their biggest loss of the season against the NBA's best team (22-7).

Toronto shot 52 percent from the floor, had 34 assists and outscored the Clippers 28-4 in fast-break points.

Fred VanVleet had a career-high 14 assists starting in place of Leonard.

With leading scorer Tobias Harris held to 10 points — about half his 21.4 average — the Clippers were led by a pair of reserves.

Boban Marjanovic had 18 points and Tyrone Wallace added 15. Their fourth loss in six games dropped them into a tie for second with the Lakers at 17-10 in the Pacific Division.

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The Raptors extended their lead in the third quarter, using an early 10-0 run followed by five consecutive 3-pointers to go into the fourth ahead 103-74. Lowry hit three of the 3s and Delon Wright had two.

Ibaka had back-to-back monster dunks before the 3-point onslaught began, drawing cheers on Canada Night at Staples Center.

Both teams played their reserves in the fourth, but the Clippers were too far behind to make a serious dent.

Tip-ins

Raptors: Nick Nurse plans to coach at Golden State on Wednesday before returning to Carroll, Iowa, where his 94-year-old mother died Monday. ... They improved to 6-0 vs the West. ... After their current four-game trip, the Raptors won't travel beyond the Central Time Zone for the rest of the season. ... Wright got stitches above his right eye. ... G Norman Powell missed his 18th straight game with a left shoulder injury.

Clippers: G Lou Williams sat out with a sore left hamstring that he sustained on Monday at Phoenix. ... With the team trailing by 29, longtime fan Billy Crystal had seen enough and departed before the fourth quarter began. ... They lost at home for just the third time in 12 games. ... They've lost four of six overall. ... They were beaten at home by the Raptors for the first time since Nov. 22, 2015.

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