Kawhi Leonard returns as Clippers end three-game skid with win over Bulls

CHICAGO — James Harden made seven three-pointers and scored 30 points, and the Clippers beat the Bulls 122-117 on Wednesday night in Chicago.

Kawhi Leonard had 17 points and eight rebounds after missing back-to-back games because of a sore left foot. Amir Coffey scored 20, and the Clippers got back to winning after losing three in a row.

Derrick Jones Jr. added 16 points. Bogdan Bogdanovic made four of five threes and finished with 14 points, helping the sixth-place Clippers (32-26) move a half-game ahead of Minnesota in the Western Conference.

Zach Collins set season highs with 21 points and 17 rebounds for Chicago, and Josh Giddey had 21 points and 12 assists. Coby White scored 19, but the Bulls lost for the seventh time in eight games.

The Clippers’ leading scorer, Norman Powell, missed his fourth consecutive game because of a sore left knee. Chicago’s Nikola Vucevic sat out his second straight because of right calf tightness, and Ayo Dosunmu missed his third in a row because of a sore left shoulder.

The Clippers clearly need a healthy Leonard if they’re going to make a playoff run. Wednesday’s game was just the 17th for the two-time NBA champion, who missed the first nine weeks of the season as he recovered from a right knee injury.

Chicago kept hanging in every time it looked as if the Clippers might put the game away. But Harden went off in the third quarter, scoring 20 points and hitting five threes as the Clippers built a 98-93 lead. The 11-time All-Star sealed the win when he connected from beyond the arc with 14 seconds left in the game. The Clippers made 19 of 37 three-pointers.

The Clippers visit the Lakers on Friday. The Bulls host Toronto on Friday.