Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard earned high praise from an Orlando Magic player following Sunday night’s 111-109 loss, with Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. calling him “the best player in this league.”
Leonard delivered a dominant performance, finishing with a game-high 37 points to go along with eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks in 33 minutes. He shot 14-for-25 from the field, 2-for-7 from 3-point range and 7-for-9 from the free-throw line.
After the game, Carter reflected on the challenge of defending Leonard.
“Kawhi, especially as of late, is probably the best player in this league. Again, he gets his spots whenever he wants to. Very calm, very collective. He never feels like he's rushed or sped up at all. Very solid defensively, guard, most guys on the court. So he's one of those guys you try to just contain throughout the game, make it tough, make everyone look for them tough and then late game like we did, try to get the ball out of his hand, make someone else beat us. So I think we did a really good job of that late down the stretch. And it was definitely something we could learn from going forward.”
Wendell Carter Jr. calls Kawhi Leonard the “best player in the league”
“Kawhi, especially as of late, is probably the best player in this league. He gets his spots whenever he wants… He never feels rushed or sped up at all.” pic.twitter.com/cpxRg2ggPM
— Julian Ojeda (@jowepafm) February 23, 2026
Leonard consistently controlled the tempo, scoring from his preferred midrange spots and attacking mismatches without appearing hurried. Despite Orlando’s late-game adjustments, the two-time Finals MVP repeatedly created separation and forced defensive rotations.
Clippers fall short despite Kawhi Leonard’s 37-point performance vs. Magic
As Carter noted, the Magic shifted their strategy in the closing moments, attempting to get the ball out of Leonard’s hands. On the Clippers’ final possession, Leonard passed to Bennedict Mathurin for a potential game-winning 3-pointer. The shot hit the rim and fell away, sealing Los Angeles’ second consecutive loss and dropping the Clippers to 27-30.
Mathurin contributed 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists off the bench. He shot 7-for-16 from the field, 1-for-5 from beyond the arc and 6-for-7 from the free-throw line in 30 minutes.
For Leonard, the performance continued what has been one of the most productive scoring seasons of his career. In his sixth season with the Los Angeles Clippers, the 34-year-old is averaging 28 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and two steals per game across 44 appearances. He is shooting 49.4% from the field, 38.1% from 3-point range and a career-high 90.5% from the free-throw line while logging 32.8 minutes per contest.
Orlando improved to 30-26 with the narrow victory, concluding the second night of a back-to-back on a four-game Western Conference road trip. Carter finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes, helping anchor the interior while the Magic weathered Leonard’s scoring bursts.
The Clippers will look to bounce back Thursday night when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves (35-25) at 7:00 p.m. PT on Prime Video as part of a three-game homestand.
The Orlando Magic continue their road trip Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers (34-22) at 7:30 p.m. PT, carrying momentum after withstanding Leonard’s 37-point outing.
