On one of the best stretches of an already accomplished career, Kawhi Leonard will lead the resurgent Los Angeles Clippers against the Boston Celtics on Saturday in Inglewood, Calif.
The Clippers have made Leonard the focal point of their offense, and the six-time All-Star has put the charge into the Clippers’ six-game winning streak. In just under two weeks, Los Angeles has delivered as many victories as it had in two months over the first 27 games.
The team’s run of success started with a 103-88 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 20 that put a light on improved defense. Leonard scored 32 points in that game, went for a career-best 55 on Sunday against the Detroit Pistons and has averaged 39.0 points during the win streak.
In the Clippers’ 118-101 victory over the visiting Utah Jazz on Thursday, Leonard scored 20 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter when the game remained in doubt after going just 1 of 3 from the floor in the third.
Leonard hit 8 of 14 field-goal attempts over the final 12 minutes, including 4 of 8 from 3-point range, while matching the Jazz’s total points in the quarter.
Suddenly, the Clippers are as much about their scoring prowess as their improved defense.
“I’ve been like that since I came in,” Leonard said about taking charge when the need arises. “Once you start seeing (opportunities), you start attacking more and you start to be in focus. I was aggressive from day one.”
Over his first 17 games, surrounding a 10-game absence prompted by ankle and foot injuries, Leonard averaged 6.0 attempts from 3-point range. Over the past six games, he averaged 9.8 attempts from distance and converted 44.1% of them.
“Kawhi came through and bailed us out again,” Los Angeles coach Tyronn Lue said.
The Celtics enter the final game of a five-game post-Christmas road trip with a 3-1 mark that includes a 120-106 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday.
Jaylen Brown scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds before he fouled out at Sacramento, while Derrick White and Payton Pritchard each had 16 points. At the start of NBA play on Friday, Brown ranked sixth in the NBA with an average of 29.5 points per game.
Brown’s nine attempts from 3-point range on Thursday matched his second most in a game this season, but he made just one of those shots. He is shooting just 30.8% from distance over the past five games.
White took charge late, putting up 14 points in the fourth quarter.
“It’s just a fun time of the game, and I just wanted to make an impact on it,” White said.
White went 4 of 7 from the floor and 2 of 3 from 3-point range while playing every second of the fourth. He hit 1 of 6 and 0 of 4 in those respective categories over the first three quarters.
“The biggest thing about (White) is that he doesn’t allow the misses to discourage him,” coach Joe Mazzulla said of White, who added seven assists and five rebounds in the game. “He continues to play defense, he continues to shoot, he continues to stay aggressive.”
The Celtics earned a 121-118 home victory over the Clippers on Nov. 16 to reach .500 at 7-7. Boston has gone 14-5 since. The Clippers were in the midst of a 2-14 stretch when they lost at Boston.
