Kawhi Leonard has been tearing the NBA apart over the last two postseasons, and he has done more of the same against the Michael Malone and the Denver Nuggets. The Los Angeles Clippers star has been shooting the lights out this season, but did have one of the worst performances of his career in Game 2, shooting just 4-of-17 from the field.

Throughout the last couple of years, Leonard has elevated his game to the level of a legitimate superstar, to the point where it's impossible to stop him and the only hope is to contain him.

Malone was asked what's considered a win for him when it comes to defending a player as good as Kawhi Leonard.

“With them, if you’re just talking about that individual matchup, I think it starts with defending without fouling and keeping him off the free-throw line is always a good place to start. And then as long as he’s only making tough, contested shots. I thought in Game 1, if you go back to that game, seems like two weeks ago, we were playing one-on-one, but there was no help behind Jerami Grant’s defense. So you have to show him a crowd and give him different looks and make him work. It can’t just be easy for him where he’s getting to his spots, raising up and shooting over you. He is one of the best mid-range shooters in the game, so shots that look like it’s really good defense he’s very comfortable and adept at making.”

The Nuggets did exactly that in Game 2, crowding him with two and sometimes even three defenders whenever he drove to the basket. The Clippers did not do a good job of finding other guys, but a lot of that had to do with the defense Denver threw at Kawhi Leonard all night long.

In Games 3 and 4, Leonard got loose and into his comfort zones once again, which led to Clippers wins. In the three victories this series, Leonard is averaging 27.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game on 54.4 percent shooting from the field.

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“There’s no win against Kawhi unless we win as a team, but overall just trying to make it as difficult as possible. I think Jerami Grant has had some really, really positive possessions against him.”

Kawhi Leonard says that he and the Clippers are still learning each other as the postseason goes on, which is a scary thought for opponents.

“We are all still learning each other,” Kawhi Leonard assessed. “It's a different team. You know, especially with me and PG, and even the guys that have been here, it's a different style of play, different voices that you're hearing, so we're trying to come together. I don't know where we are, but I know that we just want to keep getting better, and that's the focus on each and every day, is just being a better unit.”

The Nuggets' backs are once again against the wall heading into Friday night's Game 5. Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers, who are up 3-1 in the series, have a chance to close Denver out, make history, and earn themselves a few extra rest days before the start of the Western Conference Finals.