Kawhi Leonard first made a name for himself in the NBA through his unrelenting effort on the defensive side of the ball. That same defensive effort has led him to become a 2-time Defensive Player of the Year and propelled the Clippers to a 126-111 Game 7 victory over the Mavericks on Sunday, winning the series 4-3.
After a 29-point scoring output from Luka Doncic in the first half, Leonard took the assignment of guarding Doncic for a majority of the second half. The Clippers went on to hold him to just 10 points in the second half before the three-minute mark in the fourth quarter. Doncic finished with 46 points and 14 assists becoming the youngest player ever with 40-plus points in a Game 7, according to StatMuse.
The 77 points that Doncic created through scoring or assisting were the most ever by a player in a Game 7, yet it still wasn’t enough.
Leonard finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists for the Clippers. Paul George (22 points) and Marcus Morris (23 points) also added key contributions throughout the game. The Clippers’ reserves outscoring Dallas’ reserves 27-6 played a major factor as Terance Mann and Luke Kennard combined for 24 bench points.
The Clippers led by eight at the half after shooting 24-for-38 from the field, including 11-for-19 from 3-point range in the first half. Multiple 3-pointers from Dorian Finney-Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Mavericks to respond by outscoring the Clippers 19-6 to begin the third quarter.
The Clippers then went on a 24-4 run to end the third quarter with a 15-point lead heading into the fourth. That lead was cut to just seven points with just under three minutes in the game, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris regained the double-digit lead.
The Clippers dug deep in this seven-game series after falling behind 2-0. Their reward is a facing against the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference semifinals, beginning on Tuesday.
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