
Initially, this article about Thursday night’s game was going to be about the team defense of the Los Angeles Clippers. They stifled the San Antonio Spurs all night long, only giving up shots in the mid-range area and consistently shutting down anything easy. For the better part of three quarters, that was the idea. And then something happened. Or, better yet, someone happened.
You see, through the first three quarters, Kawhi Leonard was only 8-of-23 (34.8 percent) from the field and had 23 points. The game was still in the balance as the Clippers enjoyed a five-point lead. Then the fourth quarter happened, and what ensued was the complete domination on the offensive end by Leonard.
In just the fourth quarter alone, Leonard had 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Time and time again, the team put the ball in his hands and told him to take them home. Time and time again, he delivered. Leonard finished the night with 38 points, 12 rebounds, four steals and one assist while going 15-of-32 (46.9 percent) from the field. It was a virtuoso performance. For good measure, he even added in seven deflections.
The man has been a legend in every sense of the word for the Clippers thus far this season. Everything they’ve needed him to do, he’s done. Thursday night in Los Angeles was no different for him and the team, as they used his contributions to propel themselves towards the finish line and defeat the Spurs, 103–97.
We’re going to go over some footage from Leonard’s fourth quarter.
This play is the first possession of the fourth quarter, and it begins with Lou Williams handling the ball up top. As Kawhi Leonard runs off of a Montrezl Harrell pindown at the left elbow, Maurice Harkless clears out that side and goes to the opposite corner. Leonard then gets the ball at the top of the arc from JaMychal Green.
Harrell sets Leonard a screen and the two both dive towards the rim to put pressure on the dropping big (LaMarcus Aldridge). As Aldridge tries to string this play out to the baseline, he gives Leonard more than enough space to get off a jumper. The reason Aldridge is doing this is to prevent the pass to Harrell on the roll. Leonard recognizes the soft coverage and hits the baseline jumper to start us off.
On the ensuing defensive possession, Leonard is matched up on Marco Belinelli before Rudy Gay comes over to set a screen. The Clippers end up switching this, which is the right move, and it slides Leonard onto Gay and puts JaMychal Green as the defender on Belinelli.
The Spurs then try to run a screen handoff between Aldridge and Gay, but just watch Leonard blow this all to hell. As Aldridge turns to set the secondary screen, Gay brings the ball low to the floor. This allows Leonard to swipe his hand right in and poke the ball loose. Leonard corrals the loose ball, races down the other end, and flushes home a dunk to extend the lead.
A couple minutes later, Kawhi Leonard decides that he’s done messing around playing within a system construct for a little bit and wants to actually put some people in the torture chamber. He gets the ball just below the three-point line on the right wing and is matched up exclusively with Gay. Montrezl Harrell even comes over to give a screen but Leonard ends up just backing this out and going to work.
With seven seconds on the shot clock, Leonard is at the STAPLES Center logo and begins to go into his action. Leonard squares up to Gay and gives the impression that he’s going to go right through him, but rather it’s to generate the distance required on what’s coming next. Leonard hard plants with the right foot and goes into a step-back. The former Spur rises up with five on the shot clock. Gay is trying to contest. It doesn’t matter. Leonard sinks the three.
A single possession later, Leonard gets the ball from Lou Williams near the center court logo. Williams gives Leonard a little rub screen that flows right into screen action with Harrell near the top of the arc. When the screen makes contact, Leonard explodes to his left and puts the defender, Dejounte Murray, on his back. That sets everything up.
Leonard has Murray in jail here and he knows it. Harrell is barreling to the hoop, keeping the attention of Aldridge in the process. Leonard throws a hesitation move right at the free throw line that causes both Aldridge and Murray to react as if Leonard is passing, but he isn’t. It gives Leonard enough space to rise and fire. Leonard leaps back to the nail and knocks down the jumper.
This play begins with Leonard as the ball-handler in the half-court. Williams runs up to set a screen and pops out to the top of the arc as Leonard continues to the left. Both defenders here go with Leonard and leave Williams wide open. Leonard hits Williams perfectly for the wide open three. However, Williams misses. That’s the end of the possession, right? Wrong. Not for Kawhi Leonard it isn’t.
Leonard digs down to the elbow and flat out beats DeMar DeRozan to the rebound. The shot clock resets as Leonard stands at the left elbow. He’s surveying the floor, seeing what’s open and what isn’t. With ten on the clock, he leans back and gets DeRozan thinking he’s going towards the baseline. Nope. Leonard feels that, bursts to the middle of the floor, and gets enough space to knock down another jumper.
A bit later, Leonard has the ball in the half-court near midcourt again. Leonard is working against Belinelli, which is clearly a matchup the Clippers love to see whenever it presents itself. Leonard walks Belinelli down, being clinical as he does so. The dribble starts to dazzle. Announcer Brian Sieman adeptly narrates, “[Leonard’s] mouth begins to water.” It’s bucket time.
Leonard hard dribbles left, forcing Belinelli to put his weight on the back leg and not have ample ability to recover on a shot attempt. Leonard jumps back and to the left. He’s creating even more space than he had before. Everything is lined up perfectly for him. Belinelli does his best to contest, even giving a solid effort. Leonard releases the ball at the apex of his jump. Money.
Doc Rivers is a master on out-of-bounds plays. That mastery, however, looks a lot better when Kawhi Leonard is running the show. Leonard is the inbounder but gets the ball up top with about 11 on the shot clock. He doesn’t even begin to make his move until it dwindles down to eight. It’s all the time he needs. Leonard is never rushed. He’s always in control. He’s always aware.
Leonard drives hard to the right and is at the STAPLES Center logo. Seven on the clock. He’s powering downhill and gets right under the three-point line on the right wing. Six on the clock. Derrick White is doing his damndest to stay in front of the charging Leonard. Realizing he’s not going to beat White with pure force, Leonard throws a behind-the-back dribble. Five on the clock. Leonard catches up to the dribble at the dotted line. No defender is around. He fades into the shot. The ball leaves his hands at 4.7 seconds. It takes a friendly roll and finds the bottom of the night. Sensational.
Eight minutes. That’s the amount of time that Kawhi Leonard’s barrage lasted in the fourth quarter as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the San Antonio Spurs. It might have only been eight minutes, but it felt like it lasted an eternity. That’s also the beauty with Leonard. When he’s in the moment, it seems like it lasts forever.
Leonard is now averaging 29.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks in only 29.8 minutes per game. He’s doing it on a 59.5 True Shooting Percentage (TS%). In his 149 minutes on the floor this season, the Clippers have a plus-16.0 Net Rating. In other words: Kawhi Leonard is a freaking monster and a half.
It’s only been five games from Kawhi Leonard, but you’re already seeing why he’s one of the very best players in the world today, and arguably the greatest. Every minute he’s on the court is a minute the team does not have to worry about getting out of sorts or beating themselves. And for one night, Kawhi Leonard got a little bit of revenge against his former team and coach.