INGLEWOOD, California. – Even with a three-fight winning streak, the Los Angeles Clippers He came into Saturday night’s home game against the Toronto Raptors with a challenging task ahead of him.

INGLEWOOD, CA – NOVEMBER 9: The LA Clippers assist James Harden #1 of the LA Clippers during the game against the Toronto Raptors on November 9, 2024 at the Intuit Dome. (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Saturday marked the second straight game for the Clippers, having played and won 107-98 in Sacramento the night before. The game was also their third consecutive set this season with 13 more to play.

Like injuries, scheduling is something beyond the team’s control as the Clips continue to navigate the waters without Kawhi Leonard. Next week, they will hit the road for games scheduled for Monday, Wednesday and Friday, followed by back-to-back home games.

“You can’t give in to fatigue,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said before the game.

“Tonight is going to be a complicated game. We know they’re number one, I think, in transition, number one in offensive rebounds, number two in points in the paint. So, we have to be good at all the things we talk about… because they play hard on offense, they play fast. And then we have to get back into transition and then also make sure we rebound the ball,” Lue added.

The Clippers finished the first half up 52-47.

The final minute had fans on their feet as the game was tied at 102 with 35 seconds left.

Both James Harden and Norman Powell, the team’s offensive leaders with 24 each, missed crucial free throws in the final seconds of the game.

In the end they won 105-103.

Leonard remains out indefinitely and Lue clarified that he would not be traveling with the team for its upcoming road trip.