Kawhi Leonard devours some struggling Houston Rockets
The Los Angeles Clippers' forward is having his most solid campaign in the last five years
In a heart-stopping finish, Kawhi Leonard led the Los Angeles Clippers to a 105-102 victory over the Houston Rockets with a three-pointer that included a 13-foot jump shot over Amen Thompson and Jae'Sean Tate with just 2 seconds remaining, completing a three-point play.
"I tried to move left, saw the double team, so I spun and just tried to elevate over them," explained Leonard after the game. Tate was called for a foul on the play, and Leonard made the additional free throw, finishing the game with 27 points, including 19 in the last quarter, in a game where the Clippers were down by 15 points. Leonard's performance marked his 33rd consecutive game with 20 or more points, the third-longest streak in a season and the fourth-longest in Clippers history, according to ESPN Research.
Throughout the season, Leonard has scored 15 or more points in the last quarter on five occasions, second only to Donovan Mitchell, who has done it eight times.
Kevin Durant, in awe of Leonard
"He's a closer," said Kevin Durant, Houston's player. "He can score from anywhere on the court. They're missing a few guys on his team, so they rely on him heavily throughout the game. He's patient, one of the best ever. You have to worry about a player like him all the time."
After losing to the Rockets the night before, the Clippers bounced back and improved their record to 20-7 since December 20, the best record in the NBA during that period. Leonard's basket also extended the Clippers' record to 7-0 in late-game situations within this stretch.
"Give him the ball and step aside. Get ready to defend," Clippers guard Kris Dunn pointed out about Leonard. "He knows where to position himself. Once he gets going, it's just him and the basket."
Houston seemed poised to control the game, leading by 15 points at 1:27 in the second quarter with a Durant shot. Leonard, who finished the first three quarters with 8 points on 3-of-10 shooting and four turnovers, exploded in the final period with 19 points.
"I didn't care that I hadn't scored before. You have to keep shooting and win the game," Leonard stated. He started the fourth quarter by making his first four shots and two free throws, and a finger roll at 9:23 gave the Clippers their first lead of the second half. His first miss in the quarter came at 6:55, with the Clippers up 89-82.
The Rockets, who began the season with a 16-3 record at home, now have a 2-4 record in their last six games at the Toyota Center. They committed 21 turnovers, converted by Los Angeles into 23 points. Durant matched his season high with eight turnovers.
"It seemed like they were overplaying to stop some of my actions on the pick-and-roll. They were leaving my teammates and Alpi [Alperen Sengun] and running to cover the play. They were trying to pick off passes and trapping me up top. Sometimes I didn't see the third guy coming and they'd pick me off. Normally that pass is open. Boom, turnover," Durant explained about the Clippers' defense.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Kawhi Leonard se come a unos Houston Rockets en barrena