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Kawhi Leonard returned to form, powering the Los Angeles Clippers past the Denver Nuggets 105-102 on Monday to even the first-round playoff series at 1-1.
Leonard dominated across the board, finishing with 39 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, a block, and just 1 turnover in 39 minutes. He was nearly unstoppable, hitting 15 of 19 shots, going 4-for-7 from beyond the arc, and sinking all 5 of his free throws—good for an efficient 79/57/100 shooting split.
Fans couldn’t believe what they are watching as they took to social media to share their thoughts:
“Kawhi Leonard is still in Lebron, Curry, and Jokic convos” a user in X (formerly Twitter) wrote.
Another user chimed in stating, “39 points on 80% shooting only 5 free throws with elite defense (3stocks). Thank you Mr Kawhi Leonard it was an honor to watch that.”
“Kawhi Leonard woulda been top 10 all time if he could stay healthy” posted another user.
Kawhi Leonard leading the Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers climbed to the No. 5 seed after closing the regular season with an 18-3 run, fueled by a rejuvenated Kawhi Leonard. Until now, Leonard’s stint in L.A. has been defined more by injuries than meaningful playoff success.
Kawhi Leonard elevated his game Monday night, delivering a performance that echoed his dominant 2019 playoff run with the Toronto Raptors—a stretch that ended in an NBA title and his second Finals MVP award.
Facing off against three-time MVP Nikola Jokić, Leonard dominated as the game’s best player. He tore through Denver’s defense in the first half, sinking 9 of 10 shots for 21 points and drilling a buzzer-beating three-pointer to close the second quarter.
Leonard kept pressuring the Nuggets in the second half. He nailed a clutch jumper in the final minute to push the Clippers' lead to the final margin, then immediately followed it up with a steal on Denver’s next trip down the court.
The Denver Nuggets having no answers for Leonard
The Nuggets rotated several defenders on Leonard—Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, and Michael Porter Jr.—but none could contain him. The six-time All-Star consistently found his shot, drilling threes and midrange jumpers over outmatched defenders.
While Leonard was annihilating the Nuggets defense, Jokić got off to a slow start in a matchup that has troubled him all year. Clippers big man Ivica Zubac, listed at 7-feet and 240 pounds, again made life difficult for the three-time MVP. After holding Jokić in check throughout the regular season, Zubac limited him to just eight points on six first-half shot attempts—five from beyond the arc and one dunk. Jokić didn’t get to the free-throw line until the third quarter.
Though Jokić battled back to post a triple-double with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, he struggled with efficiency—shooting 4-of-8 from the line and committing seven turnovers.
After the win, the LA Clippers evened the series at 1-1 against the Denver Nuggets, a matchup they could argue they should lead 2-0. Now, they head to the Intuit Dome on Thursday night, where they hold a 30-11 home record.
