Kawhi Leonard Reveals What He Told Clippers' Lue Before Scoring Career-High 55 Points
Los Angeles Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard had the chance to have the franchise scoring record all for himself, but he told head coach Tyronn Lue that he'd rather be ready for the next game.
In the midst of his career-high 55-point performance in Sunday's 112-99 win over the Detroit Pistons, Leonard was informed by Lue that he was within reach of a new franchise record, but he told his coach to keep his minutes in the fourth quarter to a minimum.
"Like I told [Lue], I would rather play another game than go out there and risk it," Leonard said, per the Associated Press. "Hopefully, we can get another win and be in the same situation. It is what it is."
Leonard played just six minutes in the final frame and is now tied with star guard James Harden for the team mark for points in a game.
"It was a beautiful thing to see how efficient, how effortless it was," Harden said. "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. ā¦ For him, what he had to battle through just to go out there and be himself was a beautiful thing to see."
Leonard has been slowed by injuries in recent seasons, and he missed 10 games earlier this year due to ankle and foot issues. However, he appears to be back at full strength, and the Clippers are seeing the results during their season-best four-game win streak.
"He's finally getting healthy and finally being able to play enough minutes to be very effective," Lue said. "When he's healthy, he's one of the top guys in the league. We've been able to see that of late."
Leonard and the Clippers (10-21) will try to keep the momentum going when they face the Sacramento Kings (8-24) on Tuesday.
