Kawhi Leonard’s 39-Point Masterpiece by the Numbers
The Klaw might have just had his greatest playoff performance yet
Kawhi Leonard’s magnificence was just enough for the Los Angeles Clippers to beat the Denver Nuggets 105-102 and even their first-round series at one apiece. His 39 points on 15 for 19 shooting will go down as one of the greatest jumpshooting performances in NBA playoff history.
It was the ninth game in playoff history in which a player shot over 75% from the field while taking 10 or more 2-pointers and five or more 3-pointers. His 39 points rank fifth among that cohort, his 91.7% shooting on twos ranks first, and he was the only player to reach those benchmarks in a game decided by fewer than seven points. Leonard’s pullup jumper with 54 seconds left to give the Clippers a 105-102 lead iced the game, and put a seal on his resounding performance.
If it wasn’t for Kawhi’s white-hot shooting, the Clippers would almost certainly be down 0-2, and the data is simply incredible. 18 of his 19 shots were jumpers, with Leonard going 14 for 18 (77.78%). His only non-jumper was a dunk courtesy of a James Harden outlet pass. Of those 18 jumpers, 16 were off a dribble. Leonard mixed in an array of pullups, fadeaways, turnarounds, and stepbacks to make the Nuggets’ lives hell. It didn’t matter where the defender was, Kawhi was completely unbothered. Only two out of his 18 jumpers would be classified as wide-open, and one was because he landed a nasty step-back on Aaron Gordon.
He started the night by hitting his first five shots and converting 11 of his first 12. Interestingly, Leonard only took two shots in the third quarter. His efficiency fell off a tad in the fourth quarter, as he only converted four of his seven shots. However, four of his seven fourth-quarter attempts were 3-pointers, and he still went a respectable two of four on threes and two of three on 2-point jumpers for an eFG% of 71.43%.
Kawhi went six for six on jumpers in the paint, four of five on mid-range jumpers, and four of seven on 3-pointers. His effective field goal percentage (eFG%) on jumpers came in at an insane 88.89%, or 1.78 points per jumper. The average distance for all his shots was 16.95 feet, his average 2-point jumper was 13 feet, and his average 3-pointer was 25.43 feet.
The Clippers’ season turned around as soon as Kawhi Leonard returned, and this performance is a reminder of just how dangerous a player he is. In playoff scenarios, there is no better isolation scorer than Leonard. His combination of strength, length, and touch allows him to get to his spot and finish over anyone. The Nuggets generally defended Kawhi well, but great players take great defense and laugh all the way to the bank.
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