A play-off career high 32 points from Kawhi Leonard helped the San Antonio Spurs on their way to a 100-73 mauling of the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 3 on Friday . The newly crowned Defensive Player of the Year was in excellent form for the reigning NBA champions as they took a 2-1 lead in the first-round series . The Clippers had won the first game of the series convincingly at the Staples Center , but must now come from behind after two straight defeats . Game 4 takes place on Sunday at the AT & T Center in Texas . Kawhi Leonard scored 32 points as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday . Loenard led the Spurs to a 100-73 victory in Game 3 and into a 2-1 series lead against the Clippers . Leonard is presented with his NBA Defensive Player of the Year award by his team-mate Tim Duncan . Boris Diaw had 15 points and Danny Green added 11 for the Spurs , who led by as many as 37 points after two close games in Los Angeles . The Clippers scored a franchise postseason low and their 11 points in the third were their fewest in any quarter this season . Blake Griffin had 14 points and 10 rebounds and DeAndre Jordan added 10 points for the Clippers . Griffin averaged 27.5 points on 47 percent shooting in the first two games , but was held to 6-for-15 shooting against a collapsing Spurs ' defence in Game 3 . Elsewhere , Houston 's James Harden and Dwight Howard set personal play-off bests in points and rebounds respectively as the Rockets edged Dallas 130-128 to take a 3-0 lead in the all-Texan NBA first-round playoff series . The Clippers took a 1-0 lead in the series but must now come from behind after two straight defeats . Houston Rockets moved to within one win of a place in the next round with victory in Dallas . The Rockets moved within one win of a berth in the last eight of the play-offs , as did Washington with a close-fought win over Toronto . Harden scored 42 points in a dominating role after deferring to Howard and role players in the first two wins . Howard dominated the boards , pulling in 26 rebounds . The high-scoring game was Dallas ' first without effectively banished point guard Rajon Rondo , and Monta Ellis had a play-off career-high 34 points to match Dirk Nowitzki . Ellis missed a potential tying jumper just before the buzzer , leaving Dallas to face a fourth straight year without winning a postseason series since taking the franchise 's first championship . Dwight Howard scored 13 points but had 26 rebounds for Houston in their 130-128 victory on Friday . Paul Pierce hit a 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter to give Washington a 3-0 lead over the Toronto Raptors . Game 4 is Sunday at Dallas . No team has ever rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win an NBA postseason series . That unlikely challenge now also faces Toronto after Washington went ahead 3-0 with a 106-99 victory over the Raptors . John Wall had 19 points and 15 assists and 37-year-old Paul Pierce hit two key late 3-pointers for the Wizards . Six Wizards scored in double figures , including Marcin Gortat , who had 24 points and 13 rebounds . Pierce 's 18 points were highlighted by a 3-pointer that capped a 10-2 run with 2 minutes left , and another with 16.3 seconds remaining after Toronto got within three points . Washington can clinch the series when its hosts Game 4 on Sunday . Toronto was paced by DeMar DeRozan , who scored a team playoff-record 20 points in the first quarter and 32 overall , and the Raptors led by 10 points early . But the Raptors were too inconsistent , just as they have been all series .
San Antonio Spurs beat Los Angeles Clippers 100-73 in Game 3 . Kawhi Leonard scores 32 points as Spurs take 2-1 lead in series . Game 4 takes place on Sunday at Houston Rockets in Texas . the AT & T Center move 3-0 ahead on Dallas Mavericks with 130-128 win . Washington Wizards beat Toronto Raptors 106-99 in Game 3 .