Kawhi Leonard's 45 points in Game 6 lift Clippers, force Game 7
When you have already won two NBA championships and two Finals MVP awards, everything that comes after is just a résumé boost.
Well, on Friday in Game 6 against the Dallas Mavericks, Kawhi Leonard boosted not only his résumé but his legacy as well.
Facing elimination on the road, Leonard poured in 45 points to carry the LA Clippers to a 104-97 win, forcing a Game 7 back home at Staples Center on Sunday. He shot 18-for-25 overall, including 5-for-9 from 3-point range, and added six rebounds, three assists and two steals.
It was Leonard's second 40-point outing of the series, and his singular performance put him in the same conversation as NBA legends Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.
Mavericks star Luka Dončić put it simply when describing Leonard's performance after the game.
In the series, this has been par for the course for Leonard, who has dominated from every level of the floor and answered the bell time and time again, whether it was facing an 0-2 deficit on the road or being down 3-2 with the season on the line.
It should come as no surprise that a performance such as this garnered praise for Leonard from media and NBA peers alike on social media.
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Here are the top reactions to Leonard's 45-point Game 6.
Now the basketball world — including, most importantly, the Clippers — will wait to see if Leonard has left in him one more magical performance to push LA to the next round.
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