LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard explained how the Golden State Warriors shut him down during their Play-In Tournament game.
The No. 10 seed Warriors pulled off an upset over the No. 9 seed Clippers in the NBA Western Conference play-in game on Wednesday night in Inglewood, California. After the Clippers took a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Warriors pulled off an epic comeback to win the game 126-121. Stephen Curry and Al Horford made multiple clutch 3-point shots down the stretch as the Warriors knocked the Clippers out of the Play-In Tournament for good. The Warriors, meanwhile, face the Phoenix Suns on Friday night as they look to advance to the playoffs.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Leonard was asked how the Warriors shut him down. Leonard, who had an All-NBA caliber regular season for the Clippers, was held scoreless in the fourth quarter until just 16 seconds left in the game. By that time, the Warriors had practically cemented the victory, and stopping Leonard was the key to the team’s upset comeback win.
“(The Warriors) had a great game plan. Just being physical all game, making sure I don’t get no catch-and-shoot shots, blitzing every pick and roll, getting in the post and seeing two bodies. And then Draymond (Green) is a Hall of Fame defender, so it was hard to even get shots up,” Leonard told reporters.
Overall, Leonard scored 21 points on 8-17 shooting in 40 minutes, including going just 1-6 from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Curry had 35 points for the Warriors in 35 minutes, and the scoring difference between these two superstars ultimately proved to be the difference in the game.
Kawhi Leonard made no Commitment About Future With the Clippers
In addition to being asked about the game itself, Leonard was asked about his future with the Clippers. Leonard, who has just one year left on his contract at $50.3 million, did not commit his future to the team he has played for since 2019.
“Let me cry about this loss a little bit more. Weâll have our discussions when that time comes,” Leonard said.
There has been speculation that the Clippers may look to trade Leonard this offseason, as the team could potentially pivot and rebuild around All-Star guard Darius Garland instead.
Clippers Knocked out of Playoff Contention
With the loss to the Warriors, the Clippers’ season is officially over, meaning they will not make the playoffs. That has led some to speculate on what the future holds for head coach Ty Lue, who has only taken the Clippers past the first round of the playoffs one time in his six years at the helm. Although Lue is a well-respected coach, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer may decide to make a change, particularly if the team embarks on a rebuilding effort and trades Leonard. If that happens, then it would make sense to hire a younger coach and let Lue go.
Regardless, the Clippers’ loss to the Warriors concludes what has been nothing but a disappointing season for the veteran team, one that started with controversy during the offseason with the Aspiration controversy, something that still has not reached a final verdict.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Kawhi Leonard Explains how the Warriors Shut Him Down in Play-In Tournament Game appeared first on Heavy Sports.