Montrezl Harrell had 23 points and Lou Williams scored 22, and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the visiting Detroit Pistons 126-112 on Thursday night despite playing without Paul George in the second half.

Kawhi Leonard posted 18 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Clippers, while Maurice Harkless and JaMychal Green chipped in 12 points apiece.

Ivica Zubac had four blocks to go along with eight points. Harrell also had four blocks, among 11 for the team.

George failed to return after experiencing tightness in his left hamstring. He finished with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting in 16 minutes.

Bruce Brown led the Pistons with 15 points. Derrick Rose, Tony Snell, Christian Wood and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk each scored 14 points for Detroit, which had nine players reach double figures. The Pistons lost for the eighth time in nine games.

Without him, the Clippers still managed to blow the game open in the third quarter. After building a 10-point lead early in the third, the Clippers used a 16-3 surge after a bucket inside by Harrell for a 97-74 lead with 2:34 left in the quarter.

Los Angeles outscored Detroit 37-16 in the third for a 106-79 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. The Pistons never recovered.

The Clippers, who trailed by as many as nine in the second quarter, used a 17-7 run to close the half for a 69-63 at the break. Both teams scored at least 30 points in each of the first two quarters.

Los Angeles outshot Detroit 55.6 percent to 47.9 percent from the floor in the first half. For the game, the Clippers connected on 54.3 percent of their shots to 42.6 percent for the Pistons.

The Clippers improved to 15-3 at home, while the Pistons fell to 4-13 on the road.

The Pistons played without former Clipper Blake Griffin, out with left knee soreness, and Markieff Morris, who is recovering from a sprained left foot.

--Field Level Media