OCEANSIDE, CA — The Los Angeles Clippers were among the last teams to play their first preseason game, but it was well worth the wait. Kawhi Leonard and co. traveled to Oceanside, CA to kick off their preseason schedule against the Guangzhou Loong-Lions on Thursday night.
The Clippers defeated the Loong-Lions, 142-95, behind a team-high 18 points in 18 minutes from Kawhi Leonard. It was the team's first game following six days of training camp and scrimmages in the first nine days, starting September 30th.
“It was good,” Kawhi Leonard said following the win. “It's always great to see what we've been working on that practice and then see how we could perform in front of fans with a lot of distractions. So it was great. It was great.”
Leonard was one of six players in double-figures. Ivica Zubac recorded 15 points and five rebounds, while new Clippers forward John Collins added 15 points and four rebounds off the bench.
Former Clippers guard Chris Paul received a nice ovation from fans when he checked in. Paul finished with 15 points, a team-high six rebounds, and four assists while going 4-of-5 from three on the night.
“He played well,” Leonard added. “He got us in our offense. Made plays, knocked down his three-point shot and got us rolling.”
The Clippers won by 47 points, but only led by five points at halftime. Their advantage was only a 69-64 lead at the half due, in large part, to the NBA players on the Guangzhou Loong-Lions roster.
Former Indiana Pacers two-time All-Star Victor Oladipo recorded 21 points and five assists in the first half while former New Orleans Pelicans guard Tim Frazier had 10 points and five assists.
Head coach Tyronn Lue felt like the Clippers weren't taking the Loong-Lions seriously in the first half, which is why a clear message was sent to focus on their defensive principles in the second half.
Kawhi Leonard on the Clippers’ preseason opening win:
“It went well. These games are always pretty tough. You don't know who you're guarding and these teams come out pretty aggressive and want to make a stamp. But I thought we did some great things out there collectively and we… pic.twitter.com/084zyRODiG
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) October 10, 2025
“Early on in the first half, I just thought we were going through the motions,” Tyronn Lue said after his team allowed 643 first-half points. “I didn't think we were really locked in or had that defensive mindset to start the game. They ran around too free and got whatever shot they wanted. We didn't really take them serious.
“I told our guys we're working on ourselves, we're not working on playing against them. We've got to get better and to have that mindset every night. In the first half, I didn't think we did that. But I thought the second unit to start the third quarter came out and had a real defensive mindset.”
The Clippers starters didn't play in the second half, and the second unit primarily featuring Chris Paul, Brook Lopez, John Collins, Jordan Miller, and Nicolas Batum led a third quarter that saw LA outscore Guangzhou 42-8 in the period.
From there, the game was essentially over, with the Clippers giving their young players burn in the fourth quarter.
“It went well,” Kawhi Leonard said of the Clippers' preseason opener. “These games are always pretty tough. You don't know who you're guarding and these teams come out pretty aggressive and want to make a stamp. But I thought we did some great things out there collectively and we just got to keep building forward, moving forward.
“We're just getting better. Everything, but it's still preseason. It's practice.”
Up next for the Clippers are Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets have split their first two preseason games, losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves and then defeating the Toronto Raptors.
