Kawhi Leonard has lengthy been one of many best playoff risers within the historical past of the NBA. Leonard appears to at all times flip a swap when the postseason begins, though over the previous half-decade or so, accidents have restricted his postseason impression considerably, dashing the Los Angeles Clippers’ championship hopes again and again. However on Monday evening, in Sport 2 of the Clippers’ first-round sequence in opposition to the Denver Nuggets, Leonard popped off for 39 factors on insane effectivity, main them to a 105-102 win to even up the sequence.
Leonard made 15 of his 19 field-goal makes an attempt, proving himself to be a bucket-making machine when he has it going like he did on Monday evening. And in so doing, the Clippers star made bonkers playoff historical past that has him in fairly the unique membership.
In keeping with the NBA.com/Stats web page on X (previously Twitter), the 33-year-old star grew to become simply the fourth participant in NBA historical past to have a number of playoff video games with at the very least 35 factors on 75 p.c capturing or higher, becoming a member of Dirk Nowitzki (3x), Devin Booker (2x), and Shaquille O’Neal (2x) as the one gamers to take action.
Leonard first completed this kind of sport in Sport 3 of the Clippers’ first-round matchup in opposition to the Dallas Mavericks in 2021. Throughout that sport, the Clippers trailed by double digits within the first quarter and appeared to be in grave hazard of happening 3-0 within the sequence earlier than Leonard rallied his crew into an eventual double-digit victory.
This wasn’t the one feat Leonard completed on Monday, nevertheless; he additionally grew to become simply the fifth participant in NBA historical past to place up at the very least 39 factors in a single playoff sport on 78.9 p.c capturing from the sphere or higher, becoming a member of Nowitzki, Booker, Elton Model, and Terry Porter in that unique membership.
And to prime all of it off, based on Keerthika Uthayakumar of TSN, Leonard posted the seventh-best true capturing proportion in a 35-point sport in NBA playoff historical past (92.0 p.c TS).
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The Clippers can solely go so far as Leonard takes them, and with this wholesome model of Leonard main the best way, nobody ought to low cost the potential of them getting very far within the playoffs.
Kawhi Leonard is all the best way again for the Clippers
Kawhi Leonard’s playoff runs in 2021, 2023, and 2024 have been minimize quick by accidents he sustained in the course of the sequence. In 2021, he tore his ACL within the second spherical. In 2023, he tore his meniscus after two good outings in opposition to the Phoenix Suns within the first spherical. After which in 2024, it was clear that Leonard shouldn’t have returned for a quick two-game cameo, because it was evident that he was nonetheless hampered by a knee damage that sidelined him in direction of the tip of the common season.
However now, Leonard seems to be again to being at his healthiest in a Clippers uniform, and he is again to scorching the nets underneath the grand playoff stage. And the Nuggets have to be very afraid.