Leonard notched 39 points (15-19 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 5-5 FT), three rebounds, five assists, one block and two steals in 39 minutes during Monday's 105-102 win over the Nuggets in Game 2 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Leonard was nothing short of spectacular, helping the Clippers to a vital win in Game 2 against the Nuggets. It was a vintage performance by Leonard, who scored efficiently while also adding key defensive contributions. Both teams will now head to Los Angeles for Game 3, where the Clippers will have an opportunity to take control of the series.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Drops 22 in Game 1 loss
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Leonard closed with 22 points (9-15 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 3-3 FT), six rebounds, two assists and three steals across 41 minutes during Saturday's 112-110 overtime loss to the Nuggets in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
The veteran forward remains locked in at both ends of the court. Leonard has scored 20 or more points in 16 straight appearances dating back to March 11 while recording multiple steals 10 times, averaging 26.2 points, 7.2 boards, 3.5 assists, 2.5 threes and 2.2 steals during that stretch. He also appears to be 100 percent healthy, playing more than 40 minutes in each of the last three contests.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Notches 33 points Sunday
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Leonard finished with 33 points (13-20 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 3-5 FT), six rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 47 minutes during Sunday's 124-119 overtime victory over the Warriors.
Leonard scored at least 30 points for the fourth time this season Sunday, helping guide the Clippers to a postseason spot as opposed to a Play-In Tournament scenario. Although Leonard missed nearly the entire first half of the campaign, he aided fantasy managers in a big way down the stretch. Over his last 12 contests, the superstar forward averaged 26.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.9 steals and 2.6 three-pointers in 36.2 minutes. Leonard shot a stellar 55.2 percent from the field, 49.2 percent from deep and 90.0 percent from the free-throw line during this stretch.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Scores 28 points Friday
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Leonard produced 28 points (10-21 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 6-6 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and one steal across 42 minutes during Friday's 101-100 victory over Sacramento.
Leonard has been on a sizzling scoring run of late, and while the star forward might never return to his pre-injury performances, there's no doubt he's still one of the best players in the NBA when healthy. He's scored at least 20 points in each of his last 14 appearances, a span in which he's averaging 26.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.1 steals per contest.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Available vs. Houston
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Leonard (knee) has been cleared to play in Wednesday's game against the Rockets, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
After missing Tuesday's win against the Spurs, Leonard will be back on the floor Wednesday in the second game of a back-to-back set. The superstar forward has played well as of late, averaging 26.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game, shooting 56.6 percent from the floor and 52 percent from beyond the arc.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Won't play Tuesday
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Leonard (knee) is out for Tuesday's game versus the Spurs, Mark Medina of TheSportingTribune.com reports.
Leonard has been downgraded from questionable to out for the first leg of the Clippers' back-to-back Tuesday due to right knee injury management. Derrick Jones and Nicolas Batum are candidates to receive increased playing time in his absence. Leonard's next chance to suit up is Wednesday's matchup with Houston.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Absent from warmups
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Leonard (knee) wasn't seen during his typical warmup time slot ahead of Tuesday's game versus the Spurs, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Leonard is officially listed as questionable for the first leg of the Clippers' back-to-back Tuesday due to right knee injury management. However, Leonard's absence from warmups is a bad sign for his availability against San Antonio.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Iffy for Tuesday
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Leonard (knee) is questionable for Tuesday's game against the Spurs, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Leonard is questionable for the front end of the club's back-to-back due to right knee injury management. The star forward was able to play in both halves of the club's back-to-back set against Dallas on Friday and Saturday, which is an encouraging sign for the Clippers as they fight to stay out of the Play-In Tournament. If the superstar joins Amir Coffey (knee) on the sideline against San Antonio, Derrick Jones and Nicolas Batum are candidates for an uptick in playing time.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Drops 29 points in blowout win
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Leonard racked up 29 points (12-19 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block across 25 minutes in Saturday's 135-104 victory over Dallas.
For the first time all season, Leonard took the court for both games of a back-to-back set, which was a byproduct of the Clippers looking to keep pace in a tight race for a top-six seed in the Western Conference playoffs. After logging 24 minutes in Friday's win over Dallas, Leonard had his playing time limited again in the rematch, though he may have logged a heftier workload if the Clippers hadn't raced out to a 23-point lead after three quarters. The Clippers have another back-to-back set coming up Tuesday and Wednesday versus the Spurs and Rockets, respectively, and while Leonard looks like a good bet to play in both of those contests, the Clippers may once again look to keep his minutes in check for both games.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Deemed questionable for Saturday
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Leonard is listed as questionable for Saturday's game versus the Mavericks due to right knee injury management, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.
Leonard has yet to play both ends of a back-to-back set this season, but the Clippers could be willing to make him available for Saturday while the team has every incentive to push for wins over its final five games of the regular season to avoid a spot in the Play-In Tournament. Additionally, Leonard is coming off a 24-minute workload in Friday's easy 114-91 win over Dallas, so he could be relatively fresh for Saturday if the Clippers opt to make him available.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Iffy to play Saturday
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Head coach Tyronn Lue said after Friday's 114-91 win over the Mavericks that Leonard will be "evaluated" early Saturday before the Clippers determine his status for their rematch with Dallas later that day, Joey Linn of SI.com reports.
Leonard handled a light workload Friday, playing 24 minutes and finishing with 20 points (8-17 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, two assists and one steal. The star forward hasn't played both ends of a back-to-back set all season as the Clippers take a cautious approach with him coming off an offseason procedure on his right knee, but Lue didn't close the door on Leonard breaking that trend Saturday. Since he logged a less-than-full workload Friday, Leonard should be fresher than he normally would be heading into the second leg of a back-to-back, and the Clippers have further incentive to make him available Saturday while they're locked in a tight battle with multiple teams to avoid a spot in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Status uncertain for Saturday
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There's uncertainty as to whether Leonard will play Saturday against the Mavericks in the second leg of a back-to-back set, and head coach Tyronn Lue said the situation "will be evaluated tomorrow," Joey Linn of SI.com reports.
Leonard isn't used to playing the second leg of back-to-back sets as part of his recovery process from all the injuries he's had over the last few years. However, he might suit up Saturday since he didn't have a lot of action in Friday's 114-91 win over Dallas. He finished with 20 points (8-17 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, two assists and a steal across 24 minutes.
Leonard supplied 28 points (11-18 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), three rebounds, three assists and two steals in 38 minutes during Wednesday's 114-98 win over New Orleans.
With Leonard fully healthy, the Clippers are doing what they need to do as they jockey for playoff position. Leonard demonstrated his ability to turn on the jets late in the season during his title-winning year with the Raptors, and he appears poised to play a similar role in LA if he can stay on the court. The Clippers gave two back-to-back sets coming up on the schedule, so Leonard will likely sit out for a couple of games over the next week.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Pours in 21 points in win
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Leonard finished Monday's 96-87 win over Orlando with 21 points (8-22 FG, 0-6 3Pt, 5-6 FT), eight rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal in 39 minutes.
The superstar recorded 20-plus points for a ninth consecutive contest Monday, tying Norman Powell for the team-high mark in points. Leonard delivered an abysmal performance from beyond the arc, though he had shot 60.0 percent from three-point range in his previous five outings. The veteran forward has seemingly been returning to his old form of late, which has resulted in the club winning eight of its last 10 outings in which the six-time All-Star has played.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Not listed on injury report
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Leonard (knee) isn't listed on the Clippers' injury report for Monday's game against the Magic, Cody Taylor of USA Today reports.
As expected, Leonard will return to action after resting during Sunday's loss to the Cavaliers. Over his last seven appearances, Leonard has averaged 26.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.3 steals in 34.7 minutes per game.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Not playing Sunday
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Leonard (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Cavaliers, independent NBA writer Justin Russo reports.
With the Clippers beginning a back-to-back set Sunday, Leonard will sit out of the first leg for injury management but should be available for Monday's clash against the Magic. Derrick Jones is the top candidate to enter the Clippers' starting lineup in Leonard's absence. Leonard has averaged 24.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.6 three-pointers and 2.0 steals in 35.7 minutes per game over 15 appearances since the All-Star break.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Comes close to triple-double
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Leonard logged 27 points (10-18 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 5-5 FT), 10 rebounds and seven assists across 41 minutes during Wednesday's 126-113 win over New York.
James Harden led the way for the Clippers offensively with a 29-point showing, but Leonard posted an impressive line as well and finished just three dimes away from a triple-double, a feat he's yet to achieve this season. This was his third straight game with 20-plus points and at least 10 rebounds, so there's no question the star forward is gaining steam ahead of the regular season's final weeks. He's averaging 25.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game since the beginning of March.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Double-double against Memphis
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Leonard chipped in 23 points (9-12 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 10 rebounds and four assists over 37 minutes during Friday's 128-108 victory over the Grizzlies.
The double-double was the second of the season in 27 games for Leonard, with the other coming March 2 against the Lakers. Over nine appearances in March, the veteran forward is averaging 24.9 points, 6.9 boards, 3.2 assists, 2.2 threes and 1.9 steals while shooting 52.4 percent from the floor.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Strikes for game-high 33 in win
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Leonard supplied 33 points (12-19 FG, 5-6 3Pt, 4-4 FT), seven rebounds, four assists and four steals over 35 minutes during Tuesday's 132-119 win over Cleveland.
The veteran forward led all scorers on the night as he topped 30 points for the first time since March 2. Leonard still isn't playing both ends of back-to-backs, but the extra rest seems to be helping him produce at a rate he hasn't managed consistently since he was in his mid-20s. Over eight appearances in March, Leonard is averaging 25.1 points, 6.5 boards, 3.1 assists, 2.4 threes and 2.1 steals while shooting 50.6 percent from the floor.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Season-high five steals in rout
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Leonard chipped in 25 points (11-21 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-4 FT), six rebounds, two assists and five steals in 36 minutes during Friday's 121-98 victory over the Hawks.
After being held out of Wednesday's game against Miami, Leonard swiped a season-high five steals while matching James Harden for the team lead in scoring. Leonard is consistently handling heavy workloads after being limited for most of the season, which is a great sign for fantasy managers, and the All-Star forward has averaged 23.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.3 three-pointers in 36.5 minutes over nine games since the All-Star break.
