AP Photo/LM Otero
Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard played so well on Wednesday that even his former head coach was in his corner.
Leonard finished with a game-high 26 points to lead the Clippers to a 109-102 road win over the San Antonio Spurs. While his offensive performance was impressive, a surreal moment happened when Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich grabbed the microphone in the second quarter and told the crowd to stop booing Leonard while he was shooting a free throw.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
Coach Pop grabs the mic mid-game to tell the crowd ‘stop booing’ at Kawhi 😳 pic.twitter.com/ckvZduDdut
Of course, Spurs fans at Frost Bank Center continued to boo Leonard whenever he touched the ball, but that only seemed to fuel him. He shot an efficient 10-of-17 from the field and added four rebounds, four assists and two steals while playing his trademark exceptional defense on the wing.
Thanks to Leonard’s efforts, the Clippers managed to overcome a 22-point, 15-rebound outing from Spurs rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama. Los Angeles also got 24 points from Paul George, though he struggled with his efficiency and finished 8-of-23 from the field. James Harden added 16 points and nine assists.
But it was Leonard who was the hero of the night on Wednesday, and fans on social media showed him the same love Popovich gave him:
Julian Delacruz @JulianDela23902
NAH BRUH THIS HARDEN AND KAWHI DUO HAS BEEN DEADLY 🔥🔥 LOOKING DANGEROUS
Bally Sports West @BallySportWest
Kawhi is feeling it 🖐The Klaw has 22 thru 3!@LAClippers | #ClipperNation pic.twitter.com/PV458UoacG
Hit @GuaranteedHit
This synergy between Harden and Kawhi these past couple games dawg, we might actually be in that mode
kingtisemedia @kingtisemedia
Y’all couldn’t have been serious about James Harden. Dude creates open shots the entire game Kawhi cooking 😭
BGN Hoops @BGNHoops
Clippers Big 4 today:
Harden: 16-6-9
Kawhi: 26 points
PG: 24 points
Russ: 8-6-73 game winning streak. Things are starting to get scary. pic.twitter.com/PaxfzUrTTn
The Clippers have high expectations this season after going all-in to acquire Harden. If Leonard continues playing like he did on Wednesday, Los Angeles will have a good chance to be one of the top title contenders in the Western Conference.
Leonard and the Clippers (6-7) will be going for their fourth straight win when they return to action on Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans (7-7).
