Kawhi Leonard Turned Back The Clock For A Night

Kawhi Leonard is a player who has seen the highs and the lows of this game. From the very first season he set foot on an NBA court he was thrust into the fires of the NBA playoffs, preparing him for a long career of high intensity playoff moments. Coming into this season, Leonard was on the shelf yet again with a right knee injury, and the doubts about the Los Angeles Clippers began to roll in. Injuries have plagued Leonard for the majority of his career, but they have been extremely prevalent during his Clippers tenure.

Leonard only appeared in 37 games this season, and when it was time for the playoffs to begin, many began to question if Leonard’s body would hold up for the long haul. With Los Angeles drawing the Denver Nuggets as their first round matchup, they would need Leonard at his absolute best in order to come out on top for this series. After a disappointing game 1 loss where Los Angeles blew a lead and ultimately lost the game to Denver, they desperately needed to win game 2. When Los Angeles needed him the most, Leonard stepped up.

Last night Leonard dropped 39 points, 5 assists, along with 3 stocks. He did this while shooting 78.9 percent from the field as well, an extremely efficient showing from the former finals MVP. Leonard shot 15/19 from the field, 4/7 from behind the arc, and 5/5 from the free throw line, resulting in a staggering 92 true shooting percentage. Leonard is no stranger to showing up in the playoffs, and last night was a masterclass in particular.

Of his 15 made field goals last night, only one of them was a rim attempt, the rest were jump shots from all over the floor. Leonard is one of the game’s elite mid-range maestro’s and no matter who Denver threw at him, or what coverage they threw at him, he still found a way to sink the jumper.

The Nuggets plan for Leonard for a large chunk of the game was to place the smaller Jamal Murray on him, but have other defenders dig in on Leonard to help Murray out. This schematic choice did not work against Leonard in the slightest, and it ultimately led to some pretty easy looks for the Clippers forward. Leonard repeatedly backed Murray down to his desired spot in the halfcourt, whether he began behind the three point line, or he got an entry pass thrown to him at the elbow.

Denver threw multiple defenders at Leonard, such as Aaron Gordon, and Peyton Watson, their best wing defenders. All of them were powerless against Leonard, as he moved them to wherever he wanted on the floor and rose up for jumper’s time and time again. Even when he was crowded, Leonard still found a way to knock down the jumper. It didn’t matter the size, wingspan, and closeness of the defender, Leonard was on a mission to secure this game for his Los Angeles Clippers.

Not only was Leonard an unstoppable scorer, he was also clutch. Despite his huge scoring night Denver was still within striking distance throughout this game, and Leonard scored 12 points during the fourth quarter along with 3 assists. With the game in the balance, Leonard was trusted with the ball in his hands multiple times. With Denver breathing down their necks, with the score being 103-102, Leonard had Gordon on him in an isolation, Leonard pulled up with a hand in his face and sunk the the 21 foot jumper to get the lead to three. Leonard’s work was not yet finished, as Denver had the chance to tie the game or cut the lead to one. After an uncharacteristically bad pass from Nikola Jokic, Leonard leaped into the air and snatched the ball back for the Clippers.

This series is still far from being over, and the Clippers still have quite the task in front of them. But for one night, Leonard turned back the clock and secured the win for his team at a time when their backs were against the wall. Thanks to Leonard’s heroics, Los Angeles is not facing a 2-0 deficit, and are in a better position to win this series.