Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard scored 55 points in 112-99 victory over the Pistons on Sunday night.
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard scored 55 points in 112-99 victory over the Pistons on Sunday night.
Los Angeles — Kawhi Leonard has firmly established his status as a Hall of Famer, having achieved nearly everything possible in his 14-year career. He is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, a two-time NBA champion, and a two-time Finals MVP. In 2020, he was recognized as one of the greatest players in league history by being named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
At 34 years old, there isn’t much left for Leonard to accomplish. However, on Sunday night, he recorded the first 50-point performance of his career, sending the Los Angeles Clippers to a 112-99 win over the Detroit Pistons inside Intuit Dome.
Leonard tied the Clippers’ franchise record for most points in a game with 55 on 17-of-26 shooting, 5-of-10 on 3-point shooting. He also registered 11 rebounds, five steals and three blocks.
“You have decisions to make, like how are you going to get the ball out of his hands?” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “But he is a heck of a player. Allowing him 17 free throws is tough, also. When he got it going, and you are fouling him and putting him on the line, it helps him get into a rhythm. I did think we did a good job getting the ball out of his hands late in the game, but we did not do it earlier enough.”
Bickerstaff said the Pistons did everything possible to contain Leonard. They trapped. They doubled. They tried to deny him the ball. His best performance came during the third quarter when he scored 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting with three triples.
The only negative part about his play during the period came with 1:13 left in the quarter, where he ended his streak of 64 consecutive free throws made.
“We allowed him to get into a rhythm,” Cade Cunningham said. “He is the type of player that, once you allow him to get into his spots and the looks that he wants, we just took too long to try and get the ball out of his hands, and he just continued to go. That was on us.”
Leonard played a crucial role in the Pistons falling to 24-8 overall and 2-2 on their current five-game road trip. Most of Detroit’s struggles against the Clippers, however, were self-inflicted. They shot 7-of-29 on 3-pointers after missing their first 12 attempts.
The Pistons’ lackluster performance may have been due to fatigue from a lengthy road trip, which can affect any team. Having spent seven consecutive days on the road, the Pistons appeared tired as they entered their interconference matchup. Falling to the Clippers marked the Pistons’ second back-to-back loss of the season.
BOX SCORE: Clippers 112, Pistons 99
“It is all about turning the page and figuring out ways to get better,” Tobias Harris said. “Tonight, it wasn’t our best night. We have to make a few adjustments so we can be better for the next game.”
The Pistons had a slow and sluggish start, falling behind by 19 points (33-14) with 2:32 left in the first quarter. Jalen Duren was the standout performer for Detroit in the first half, scoring 16 of his 18 points to go along with 11 rebounds.
Cunningham shook off a horrid first half by scoring 15 points in the third quarter. He finished with a team-high 27 points on 9-of-18 shooting, nine assists and five rebounds.
“We did a better job of giving him more room to operate,” Bickerstaff said. “In the first half, he was playing with three fouls, which makes it a little bit difficult also. But to their credit, they crowded him. They made him give it up. In the second half, our guys did a better job of adjusting and giving him more room to go out and work.”
Observations and notes
▶ A tale of two halves: Despite finishing as the Pistons’ leading scorer, Cunningham’s performance showcased a story of two halves. The first 24 minutes marked the worst half of the season for the All-NBA guard.
He started the game poorly, shooting 0-of-4 from the field and contributing to two of the Pistons’ first three turnovers. Cunningham had an opportunity to score his first basket midway through the first quarter, but Leonard made a chase-down block to deny him the chance.
He appeared disengaged through the first two quarters, particularly on defense, where he committed three personal fouls. The All-Star guard finished the first half scoreless for the first time this season and posted a minus-14 on the court. His first basket of the game did not come until the 11:48 mark of the third quarter, by way of free throws.
“I’ve had a lot of games where I did not play well, but I know it’s going to come eventually,” Cunningham said. “I just keep my faith in the Lord, which is most important, and then trust my work. I’ve worked too hard to let anyone keep me out of the game. I knew I was going to get going eventually.”
▶ Jalen Ivey plays a season-high in minutes: The Pistons have been very careful about Jaden Ivey’s playing time since his return from injury on Nov. 22.
He entered the night averaging 14.9 minutes per game, which reflects the 15-minute restriction that has been placed on him. Against the Clippers, Ivey logged a season-high of 28 minutes of playing time. Bickerstaff said he felt the four-year guard was “playing well,” as he finished with 11 points, three assists and three rebounds off the bench.
“I thought he was playing well and I did not want to disrupt that,” Bickerstaff said. “I wanted to give him an opportunity to get out there and compete, put him with some groups that were making some (strides). I just wanted to make sure that he felt the trust and confidence that we have in him.”
▶ LeVert leaves the game due to knee injury: Caris LeVert’s game ended in the third quarter due to soreness in his left knee. The injury limited him to 12 minutes, and he recorded four points on 1-of-3 shooting.
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