Kawhi Leonard turned back the clock when he exploded for a historic performance in the Los Angeles Clippers’ 112-99 win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night.
Not only that, but his stat line in the contest also matched James Harden for a feat in NBA history that only they have accomplished.
Kawhi Leonard Takes Over the Clippers-Pistons Game
Leonard went off on the Pistons as the Clippers try to ignite a big win streak to get their season back on track.
In 39 minutes of action, Leonard finished with a stat line of 55 points, 11 rebounds, five steals, three blocks, and two assists. He shot 17-of-26 from the field, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc, and 16-of-17 from the free-throw line.
His performance made NBA history as he joined Harden in the feat. Leonard became the second player to pull off having 55 or more points, 10 or more rebounds, and five or more steals in a game over the last 50 years.
“I’ve never really kind of been in this situation,” Leonard said, via ESPN. “I’m more trying to get guys the ball and sharing it more than what I have been doing. But the coaches need me to be aggressive the entire game. It’s just a different evolution of me trying to shoot more 3s and trying to evolve my game to today’s game.”
Harden first achieved the feat back in 2019 as a member of the Houston Rockets. He put up 61 points, 15 rebounds, five steals, and four assists to lead Houston to a 114-110 win over the New York Knicks.
Clippers Look To Ride on the Momentum
Harden appreciated how efficient Leonard was at getting to those historic numbers to lead the Clippers to a big win over the Pistons, who have the best record in the Eastern Conference.
“It was a beautiful thing to see how efficient, how effortless it was,” Harden said, via ESPN. “It was just so smooth. He got to whatever spot he wanted to, and once you get to that spot, it’s not even about the defender. It’s about him making the shot.
“Overly happy for him because behind the scenes you watch somebody and how hard they work…For him, what he had to battle through just to go out there and be himself was a beautiful thing to see.”
In the meantime, Los Angeles hopes to continue its recent momentum after stunning Detroit. The squad has a 10-21 record on the season, sitting at 13th place in the Western Conference standings. They are 2.5 games above the Sacramento Kings and three games above the New Orleans Pelicans, while being behind the Dallas Mavericks by one game and the Utah Jazz by two games.
The Clippers will look to extend their win streak to five when they resume their five-game homestand. They host the Kings on Dec. 30 at 11 p.m. ET before facing the Jazz on Jan. 1 at 10:30 p.m. ET.
