The Clippers’ Paul George, right, drives past the Brooklyn Nets’ Edmond Sumner as he looks to shoot during the second half on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Patty Mills passes the ball as the Clippers’ Nicolas Batum defends during the first half on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard, right, protects the ball from the Brooklyn Nets’ Royce O’Neale during the first half on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Clippers’ Marcus Morris Sr., right, defends against the Brooklyn Nets’ Cam Thomas during the first half on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue watches from the sidelines during the first half of their game against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Clippers center Ivica Zubac shoots over the Brooklyn Nets’ Joe Harris during the first half on Monday night in New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Clippers’ Paul George handles the ball during the second half of their game against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Edmond Sumner, second from left, shoots over the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard (2) and Ivica Zubac, left, during the first half on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Nic Claxton, left, and the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard battle for a rebound on Monday night in New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Nic Claxton, left, and the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard battle for a rebound on Monday night in New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Nic Claxton, left, and the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard battle for a rebound on Monday night in New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Royce O’Neale handles the ball during the first half of their game against the Clippers on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard handles the ball during the second half of their game against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Cam Thomas drives past the Clippers’ Ivica Zubac, top, and Paul George, right, during the first half on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaugn reacts from the sidelines during the first half of their game against the Clippers on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Clippers center Ivica Zubac shoots over the Brooklyn Nets’ Day’Ron Sharpe during the first half on Monday night in New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard passes the ball away as the Brooklyn Nets’ Royce O’Neale (00) defends during the second half on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Clippers’ Ivica Zubac, right, dunks in front of the Brooklyn Nets’ Joe Harris during the second half on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant, left, and Seth Curry, both of whom sat out, watch from the bench during the first half of their game against the Clippers on Monday night in New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard drives past the Brooklyn Nets’ Cam Thomas during the second half on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Dru Smith looks to pass the ball during the first half of their game against the Clippers on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Clippers’ Nicolas Batum, center, is defended by the Brooklyn Nets’ Dru Smith, left, and Royce O’Neale during the second half on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Cam Thomas passes the ball as the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard, left, and Ivica Zubac defend during the second half on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, right, is fouled by the Brooklyn Nets’ Nic Claxton on Monday night in New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Cam Thomas celebrates after making a 3-point shot during the second half of their game against the Clippers on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Cam Thomas is congratulated by teammates during a timeout in their game against the Clippers on Monday night in New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Clippers’ Paul George, left, is defended by the Brooklyn Nets’ Royce O’Neale during the second half on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Clippers’ Paul George runs up the court during the second half of their game against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Cam Thomas drives toward the basket as the Clippers’ Paul George defends on Monday night in New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Royce O’Neale, left, high-fives Cam Thomas during a timeout in their game against the Clippers on Monday night in New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Clippers’ Terance Mann handles the ball during their game against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night in New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Joe Harris, right, celebrates after making a 3-point shot during the second half of their game against the Clippers on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Edmond Sumner celebrates with fans during the second half of their game against the Clippers on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard looks to pass during their game against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night in New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Clippers’ Norman Powell goes up for a shot during the second half of their game against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Cam Thomas drives toward the basket as Clippers center Ivica Zubac defends on Monday night in New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard handles the ball as the Brooklyn Nets’ Royce O’Neale defends during the second half on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Nic Claxton dunks in front of the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard on Monday night in New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Clippers’ Nicolas Batum shoots over the Brooklyn Nets’ Yuta Watanabe during the second half on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Clippers guard Reggie Jackson handles the ball during their game against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night in New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Brooklyn Nets’ Cam Thomas, right, and Joe Harris react during the second half of their game against the Clippers on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard spins away from the Brooklyn Nets’ Edmond Sumner during the second half on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard, left, spins past the Brooklyn Nets’ Edmond Sumner during the second half on Monday night in New York. Leonard had 24 points and six assists in a 124-116 win. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Clippers’ Paul George handles the ball during their game against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night in New York. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Clippers’ Reggie Jackson shakes hands with a Brooklyn Nets fan during the second half of their game on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Clippers’ Norman Powell, right, talks to the Brooklyn Nets’ Cam Thomas during the second half on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Clippers’ Paul George, left, shakes hands with the Brooklyn Nets’ Cam Thomas after their game on Monday night in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
NEW YORK — The Clippers used a strong finishing kick to wrap up a winning road trip.
Paul George scored 29 points, Kawhi Leonard added 24 points and six assists and the Clippers overcame a career-high 47 points from Cam Thomas in his first start to beat the short-handed Brooklyn Nets, 124-116, on Monday night.
Ivica Zubac added 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who won for the eighth time in 10 games and finished 4-2 on their six-game Eastern Conference trip.
“I’m happy with the road trip we had,” Leonard said. “We came out 4-2, and that’s a pretty good road trip for us.”
Thomas, who scored 44 to rally the Nets past Washington on Saturday, was even better on the day when the Nets officially completed the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Dallas. But the Clippers outscored Brooklyn 25-9 over the final 6:20.
“Their objective (was) to come in and play hard and go hard, and they did that,” George said. “I thought it was a good experience for us to get good possessions down the stretch.”
Nic Claxton had 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Nets, while Edmund Sumner chipped in 23 points for Brooklyn. Before the game, the deal that sent Irving and forward Markieff Morris to Dallas for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and multiple draft picks was announced.
Neither Dinwiddie nor Finney-Smith were available, nor were stars Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons and guard Seth Curry due to injury. Nets coach Jacque Vaughn rotated 11 of his 12 dressed players.
“You just got to give credit to our group for being ready to play,” Vaughn said. “The optimism and belief that we can win a basketball game with the group we had was (good) to see, and our overall effort and energy and communication was good throughout the night.”
Still, the Clippers’ bench still outscored Brooklyn’s 38-10.
“That’s huge,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “We have a really good bench that we really trust, and you saw that tonight, increasing the lead when (George) and Kawhi went to the bench in the first half. … We really lean on those guys to be good for us.”
But Thomas almost single-handedly kept Brooklyn within striking distance. Thomas had 22 in the first half, then electrified the crowd with a combination of 3-pointers and mid-range jumpers, helping Brooklyn open a 107-99 lead midway through the fourth.
“I came out hot early,” Thomas said. “I didn’t know it’d be another 40, but I knew I’d probably have a great game again. Kudos to the guys for believing in me and letting me make decisions down the stretch.”
The Clippers rallied with a 9-0 run and outscored Brooklyn 33-28 in the fourth, keyed by Leonard’s nine points in the frame.
“Defensively we were able to get some stops and get out in transition a little bit,” Lue said. “Being down eight, we just came out settled down and came out and went on the 9-0 run and took control of the game.”
Kawhi Leonard, Clippers hold off Bulls for 6th win in 7 games
The Nets made 8 of 12 first-quarter 3-point attempts and built an eight-point advantage. But the Clippers closed the first with a 10-0 run then George then scored nine in the second, helping the Clippers build an 11-point advantage.
But the Nets closed the half with a 13-4 run, cutting the Clippers’ lead to 55-53 at halftime.
TIP-INS
Clippers: Forward Marcus Morris Sr. was ejected with 1:57 left in the second quarter. … The Clippers improved to 14-11 against the Eastern Conference and 8-7 on the road.
Nets: Durant (sprained right MCL) missed his 13th consecutive game. The Nets are expected to give an update on his progress Tuesday. … Simmons (left knee soreness) was unavailable for the fifth straight game but could play Tuesday against Phoenix on the second night of a back-to-back.
UP NEXT
The Clippers host Dallas in what is expected to be Irving’s Mavericks debut on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Paul George dropped 29 PTS, 4 REB, and 3 AST tonight as the Clippers won in Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/8AzDFRYhQs
