Going into Friday's game against the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, over his last six games, had been averaging 36.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.8 steals on 53% from the field.
How appropriate was it, then, for Chauncey Billups, who was doing the color commentary for ESPN for Friday's tilt, to remark prior to tip-off that Leonard was "in an all-time rhythm. With all-star teammate Paul George having been out for six straight games, Leonard indeed is in a rhythm. A groove.
In the last 8 games - including Friday's 122-117 win - the Clippers are 6-2. Leonard has missed one of those games for rest, and has scored 30 or more in all of the games he's played in the stretch. Though Friday's game continued that streak, he did struggle out of the gate.
In the first half, he was 2/11 from the field and 0/3 from downtown. He did though have 6 rebounds and 6 assists, doing the other things that stars do when their shot isn't falling. In the third quarter, he took off, going for 17/4/4 and making all five of his field goal attempts. By the end of third, he had notched his first career triple-double, with a line of 24/10/10. The Clippers started the third down 65-63, and would end it up by 16, 101-85.
Late in the 4th, with the Clippers clinging to a five point lead with 1:11 left and the Heat in the midst of a 7-0 run, Leonard gave Dion Waiters - who was playing good, tight defense - a couple of jab steps to create just enough space to elevate for the three. Bottom. The bucket gave the visitors a 118-110 lead, but after Waiters blocked Lou Williams twice in one possession and hit a three of his own, the lead was cut to three as Heat forward Kelly Olynyk had hit two free throws during the sequence.
Leonard then got aggressive, drawing a foul on a drive to the hole, getting his 30th and 31st points of the night. Another 30 point effort continued his streak of 30+ point games, now at 7 and the second longest streak in Clipper history to World B. Free's 11 consecutive 30 point outings in 1980. Two more free throws gave Leonard 32 points, as he finished 10/10 from the line. Billups then reiterated what he had said earlier in the game.
All-time rhythm.
It wasn't just another great game for Leonard, but a special one for his personal history book as he recorded his first ever triple-double. He displayed all the tools of his game - finding the open man when doubled, taking over when it was needed, clever at drawing fouls. In the second half alone, he put together a full game stat line of 26/4/4 on 7/11 from the field. He made 4 of 6 threes in the 3rd and 4th quarters.
While the presumptive Most Valuable Player favorites for this season appear to be Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luke Doncic, LeBron James and James Harden, Leonard is stating his case with how he's played lately. He is doing it all for his team in the absence of a fellow star in Paul George. He appears to be getting healthier, and finding a groove that is similar to what he had in the Raptor playoff run of last spring, complete in all aspects of the game and taking over when the time calls for it.
George, still nursing a hamstring injury, is unlikely to play until Thursday at home against the Sacramento Kings, so Leonard is most likely going to be going at it alone on Tuesday when Clippers face off against the Lakers for the third time this season.
That means we could see more of the same from Kawhi like what we have seen lately.
An all-time player in an all-time rhythm.
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