The Los Angeles Clippers have overwhelmed Brooklyn to hold onto sixth place in the Western Conference, as Australians Ben Simmons and Patty Mills enjoyed a victory against one of their former sides.

Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points as Los Angeles won 132-100 on Friday night for their second-straight victory and 10th in 12 games.

Leonard was five of six from three-point range, 10 of 14 overall from the field and made all six of his free throws. He also had six rebounds, four steals and two blocks in just under 27 minutes.

Ivica Zubac scored 21 points on 9-for-9 shooting and had 12 rebounds for the Clippers (42-31). James Harden added 17 points and Mills 14.

The Boomers skipper, struggling for game time and playing just under seven minutes at Barclays Center with a smile on his face, drained three of his four three-point attempts and all five of his shots from the stripe.

"Enjoying the journey ... being present every time, making the most of it and do it with fun, and do it with laughter," said Mills, who is with his seventh NBA franchise.

"Enjoy what you do, I think it comes back around."

Simmons, who received not just boos but some cheers when checking into the game, had 17 minutes on court against for three rebounds and three assists against on his return to Brooklyn.

In Detroit, Tim Hardaway Jr. scored a season-high 32 points as the Pistons beat the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers 133-122 to guarantee their first winning season since 2016.

Detroit withstood a 38-point performance by Donovan Mitchell, who scored 22 in the fourth quarter.

Dennis Schroder had 16 points and 10 assists, while Jalen Duren added 16 points and 13 rebounds and Ausur Thompson contributed 18 points and 10 boards for the Pistons (42-32), who failed to win 25 games in the last five seasons.

Stephen Curry scored 23 points in his return from a two-game absence as Golden State beat New Orleans 111-95.

Coming back from a March 20 pelvic bruise, Curry played 34 minutes and made just 7 of 21 shots, but hit five triples.

Jimmy Butler had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Jonathan Kuminga added 16 points for the Warriors (42-32),who are trying to earn a top-six seeding in the Western Conference and bypass the play-in.

In other matches, Denver beat Utah 129-93 to pad their lead in the fight for the No.3 seed in the West.

The Nuggets (47-28) lead the LA Lakers and Memphis by two games, but trail Houston by one-and-a-half games for the second seed.

Toronto defeated Charlotte 108-97, Milwaukee lost at home to New York 116-107, while Minnesota beat Phoenix 124-109.

With AAP.