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In keeping with standard procedure since Kawhi Leonard’s return, the Clippers did not use their All-Star forward in the fourth quarter against the Lakers on Sunday night.
Even when the Clippers’ 26-point third-quarter lead was cut to 15 at the end of the quarter and 11 at the start of the fourth quarter, Leonard was on the bench.
But in the 24 minutes and 17 seconds that Leonard played – the longest he has played this season – he was the sharpest he has ever played in his five games this season.
He scored his 19 points efficiently and shot nine for 13 from the field.
Read more: The Clippers show the Lakers everything they are not in the first rivalry game at the Intuit Dome
“I’m happy with the progress,” Leonard said after the Clippers’ 116-102 win at the Intuit Dome. “For me it just depends on how I feel and I come out of games feeling great. But I still have a lot to do and we will take every step further.”
Leonard missed the first 34 games of the season due to inflammation in his right knee. Sunday night gave him another opportunity to build.
When Leonard spun around Gabe Vincent toward the baseline and scored on a layup in the second quarter, it was another sign he was taking a step in the right direction.
“Like I said, I liked Kawhi’s pace, he got to a point,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “We just have to keep building and keep stacking days.”
Lue said Leonard will not play against the Chicago Bulls on Monday night. Leonard also didn’t play in Portland on Thursday after the Clippers played the day before.
The Clippers have four games remaining this week, including a back-to-back set on Wednesday against Boston and on Thursday against Washington, which likely means Leonard won’t play in any of those games. The Clippers conclude their five-game homestand on Saturday against Milwaukee.
They play an extra game this week after the NBA made schedule changes due to postponements caused by wildfires in the L.A. area.
“We’re taking it day by day,” said Clippers center Ivica Zubac, who had 21 points and 19 rebounds, one rebound shy of another 20-20 game. “You try to win game after game. We were focused on tonight. We didn’t look ahead. So tomorrow is a new day. Forget everything that happened tonight and try to get a new one. Then treat yourself to rest, recovery on your day off and get ready again. There’s nothing you can do. There’s nothing you can change.
Despite his career being marred by injuries, Leonard surpassed the 14,000 point mark on Sunday. He hopes he can achieve even more as he continues his comeback from injury.
Read more: Clippers guard Norman Powell continues to compete at an All-Star level
“I’m glad I was able to play as far as I did to get to this point,” said Leonard, who has 14,005 career points. “But for me this is not a milestone. I’m more of a team guy and I want to win, go down, be the last team standing and that’s what I played for. But thank God I was able to get that opportunity and most people don’t. That’s why I want to take advantage of every opportunity and every blessing and not take them for granted.”
While the Clippers steamrolled the Lakers, James Harden reached another milestone. With 26,721 points, he moved into 14th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, overtaking Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson.
Harden had 21 points and 12 assists against the Lakers.
Read more: LeBron says Lakers have to play near perfect to win: ‘That’s how our team is built’
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
