NBA playoffs 2025: Vintage Kawhi Leonard outshines Nikola Jokić as Clippers tie series with Nuggets

DENVER — The Denver Nuggets are on discover.

Classic Kawhi Leonard is again. And he led the Los Angeles Clippers to a 105-102 Recreation 2 victory over the Nuggets on Monday to tie the first-round playoff sequence at 1-1.

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The Clippers surged into the No. 5 seed, due to an 18-3 end within the common season sparked by a resurgent Leonard, whose Clippers tenure is up to now identified extra for his accidents than any profitable of significance.

Leonard turned it up one other notch Monday night time in a efficiency paying homage to his 2019 playoff run with the Toronto Raptors that ended with an NBA championship and his second Finals MVP trophy.

In a sport that includes three-time MVP Nikola Jokić, Leonard was the most effective participant on the ground. Leonard shot 9-of-10 from the sphere in a scorching first half that netted 21 factors, together with a 3-pointer to beat the second-quarter buzzer.

He continued to present the Nuggets matches and completed the sport with 39 factors, three rebounds, 5 assists and two steals. He shot 15-of-19 from the sphere and 4-of-7 from 3. He hit a jumper that prolonged the Clippers’ result in the ultimate margin within the closing minute, then got here up with a steal on Denver’s subsequent possession.

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The Nuggets threw a number of defenders at Leonard, together with Jamal Murray, Christian Braun and Michael Porter Jr. None was capable of gradual the six-time All-Star who repeatedly scored at will from 3 and from midrange over helpless defenders.

“That is what Kawhi lives for,” head coach Tyronn Lue said after the game. “He’s gonna attempt to get to the purpose the place he’s wholesome for the playoffs. We all know if we’ve received wholesome Kawhi, we will win the sequence. And it simply exhibits you what he’s able to doing.”

Can healthy Kawhi deliver on his Clippers promise?

Leonard joined the Clippers alongside Paul George in 2019 to much fanfare, fresh off his second NBA championship. Playing alongside another two-way All-Star in George, Leonard was expected to once and for all lift a Clippers team that’s never been to the NBA Finals into championship contention.

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The Clippers advanced to the Western Conference finals in Leonard’s second season in Los Angeles in 2021. But they haven’t advanced out of the first round since. And Leonard was limited to just four games in the previous two postseasons due to multiple injuries.

Leonard’s career has been intertwined with significant injuries since his exit from the San Antonio Spurs. And fair or not, he and his injuries have been blamed for the Clippers’ playoff failures since his arrival in Los Angeles.

Lue painted a different picture Monday night, crediting Leonard’s dedication to his health and his recovery in leading to his performance against the Nuggets.

“He’s a tough employee,” Lue said. “He’s devoted, like I stated, to holding his physique proper. Typically a bunch of issues occur. You possibly can’t management that. It’s not from an absence of labor. It’s not from an absence of desirous to be right here.

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“Sometimes some bad luck hits. But he’s gonna keep coming back. He’s gonna get to this point like he is right now. And that’s why I’m just so happy for him.”

James Harden, who tallied 18 factors and 7 assists Monday, has performed with Leonard for 2 seasons since becoming a member of the Clippers early within the 2023-24 marketing campaign. He joined the Clippers on the heels of Leonard’s meniscus tear that sidelined him two video games right into a 2023 first-round sequence towards the Suns. He performed alongside Leonard via one other knee damage that restricted Leonard to 2 video games towards the Mavericks final postseason.

He is been round Leonard via his current rehab and restoration course of. He has no doubts about Leonard’s dedication to the sport.

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“Every single day,” Harden stated of Leonard’s work. “It’s like the preparation, it’s the treatment. It’s the strengthening of his body. It’s the correctives and then it’s going on the court and putting it all together.

“It’s persistently each single day. Luck hasn’t been on his facet. … He likes to hoop. As you see, when he’s on the court docket, he’s a killer.”

As for Leonard himself? He was his usual understated self after his best playoff performance in years.

“I am simply completely satisfied that I will transfer,” Leonard said when asked about how he felt. “I am popping out of the sport feeling properly. That is what I am taking my pleasure in. Simply being wholesome.

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“I’ve sat and watched these playoff games and series for the past years. Being able to be on the frontline out there, it just feels good for me, whichever way the game goes. That’s what I’m taking pride in, just want to be out there play and be frontline for my team.”

Ivica Zubac continues to present Jokić issues

Whereas Leonard shined, Jokić struggled to supply early in a matchup that’s given him matches all season.

Clippers middle Ivica Zubac, who stands at 7-feet and 240 kilos, defended Jokić in addition to anyone in the course of the common season. He continued to restrict Jokić on Monday whereas holding the MVP finalist to eight first-half factors. Jokić tried simply six subject objectives earlier than halftime — 5 of them from 3 and the opposite a dunk. He did not shoot his first free throw till the third quarter.

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Jokić rallied to complete with a team-high 26 factors and tallied a triple-double with 12 rebounds and 10 assists. However he completed 6-of-10 from the road and turned the ball over seven occasions.

Will Jokić’s supporting solid be sufficient transferring ahead?

Whereas Jokić was restricted, the Nuggets leaned on his supporting solid, together with Porter, who bounced again from a 3-point efficiency in 26 minutes in Denver’s Recreation 1 time beyond regulation win. Porter began scorching and had six factors on 4 field-goal makes an attempt earlier than taking his first break on the bench. He completed with 15 factors and 15 rebounds whereas taking pictures 6-of-11 from the sphere.

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He got here up with a number of large buckets within the fourth quarter, together with a put-back layup and a pull-up 3 that tied the sport a 96-96. Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, in the meantime, took on bigger roles all through the sport because the Clippers made Jokić the middle of their defensive consideration.

However ultimately, Leonard’s large night time proved an excessive amount of for the Nuggets to beat. The Clippers, as soon as an afterthought within the West, now have home-court benefit because the sequence shifts to Los Angeles for Recreation 3 on Thursday.