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Luke Kennard scores seven points in nine seconds, 25 off bench to lead Clippers' rally

dave clark, cincinnati enquirer
·2 min read
Los Angeles Clippers guard Luke Kennard (5) celebrates after hitting the game tying shot against the Washington Wizards during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022, in Washington. The Clippers erased a 35 point deficit to defeat the Wizards 116-115. From left, Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33), Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann (14), Kennard, and Clippers forward Justise Winslow (20). (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Former Franklin High School standout Luke Kennard and the Los Angeles Clippers trailed the Washington Wizards 66-36 at the half Tuesday night. Then the Clippers scored 80 second-half points to rally for an improbable 116-115 win.

Kennard had 25 points off the bench on 8-of-13 from the field - including 5-of-8 from 3-point range - with eight rebounds and six assists.

Kennard scored seven points in the final nine seconds, including a go-ahead, four-point play with 1.9 seconds left. He made a 32-footer out of a timeout, and was fouled on another 3-pointer that followed Washington's 5-second violation. He made the free throw.

The NBA has since acknowledged that officials shouldn't have called a shooting foul on the four-point play.

From official.nba.com:

Beal (WAS) places two hands on Kennard's (LAC) body and makes contact with his arm, prior to the start of his upward shooting motion. A personal foul should be assessed and the basket should not count.

Earlier social media reactions:

Last March, Kennard scored 20 points in 18 minutes off the bench to help the Clippers rally past the Atlanta Hawks.

Kennard agreed in Dec. 2020 to a four-year contract extension reportedly worth $64 million.

Kennard visited Franklin's basketball practice just days after he was traded from the Detroit Pistons to the Clippers.

Franklin announced that Kennard - two-time Ohio Mr. Basketball (in 2014 and 2015) and a football standout as well - will have the No. 10 he wore for the Wildcats retired at a boys' basketball game Feb. 1.

Kennard, 25, the Pistons' first-round pick out of Duke in 2017, is one of seven players from local high schools, the Cincinnati Bearcats or Xavier Musketeers on NBA rosters.

In Oct. 2019, Kennard's NBA season got off to a memorable start as he poured in a career-high 30 points off the bench to help the Pistons win their first game of the season against the Pacers in Indianapolis.

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Luke Kennard scores seven points in nine seconds to lift Clippers