With Kawhi Leonard expected to opt out of his contract this offseason, many wondered if Friday night would be his final game in a Clippers uniform. The two-time Finals MVP has been a relative disappointment since arriving in Los Angeles, squandering a 3-1 series lead to Denver in last year’s playoffs (facilitating the departure of long-time coach Doc Rivers) while looking disinterested at times in 2021, fueling speculation Leonard might be operating at less than 100 percent.
With his back against the wall—and perhaps his legacy at stake—the stoic 29-year-old erupted on the Mavericks, putting the Clippers on his back with 45 points (matching his playoff career-high) on heroic 18-of-25 shooting in L.A.’s series-tying, Game 6 victory at Dallas. Not only did Leonard redeem himself after coming up small in Game 5 (and boy did teammate Rajon Rondo let him hear about it), but he saved the Clippers’ season, extending L.A.’s postseason by at least another 48 hours.
All-Star Luka Doncic did all he could to keep the Mavs afloat, contributing 12 fourth-quarter points, but Kawhi wasn’t leaving Dallas without the W. “[Kawhi] destroyed us,” said Doncic, describing Leonard’s masterful performance as succinctly as possible in his post-game remarks. “He had a hell of a game. That’s what he does.”
The NBA’s early playoff returns have been underwhelming (last year’s Finals participants, the Lakers and Heat, both crumbled, while Trae Young made sure to pour a bucket of cold water on the Knicks’ fairytale season), but Mavs/Clippers, the only first-round series to go the distance, has more than lived up to its hype. Luka and the Mavericks will have one more chance to put away the Clippers in Game 7, with Sunday’s winner to face top-seeded Utah in the Western Conference semis.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram