Kawhi Leonard was impressed by how well the Los Angeles Clippers kept their cool in a thrilling Christmas Day triumph over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Clippers consigned their rivals to a fourth loss in a row as MVP contender Leonard starred with 35 points in a 111-106 road victory on Wednesday.

With the scores tied at 86 apiece heading into the fourth quarter, it was the Clippers who showed the greater composure and Leonard was delighted to get the job done.

"We were just saying we've got to stop worrying about the game," he said of his team's focus ahead of the crunch final period.

"We're not going to blow teams out, it's not going to be easy. Every night is going to be a battle and [we need to] stop worrying about the score. Just play every possession. Play hard.

"If we're losing, don't look up [at the score], just keep doing what we have to do to win. I think we did that in the second half.

"I'm just happy we got a road win. The battle of LA is for the fans and the people that are watching, but that's not our mind set.

"We stayed composed, we kept fighting and when things weren't working for us we just played one possession at a time and we were able to get a win."

The result improved the Clippers to 23-10 this season and up next is the visit of the Utah Jazz.