With home-court advantage in the first round, the Denver Nuggets squeezed out the overtime win in Game 1 over the Los Angeles Clippers. In doing so, it put tons of pressure on Los Angeles heading into Game 2, with the possibility of being down 0-2 heading back home in the cards.
Factor in both teams being healthy entering the game, winning on Monday night for the Clippers would come down to the play of their star players. Despite missing the start of the season, Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has been stellar down the stretch, and further solidified that with his first-half performance and viral play to head into halftime.
KAWHI LEONARD AT THE BUZZER —
PLAYOFF KAWHI. 🔥🔥🔥
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 22, 2025
With defenders all over him and the score tied at 52 each, Leonard dribbled down the court and hit an insane three-point buzzer-beater to give the Clippers momentum heading into half.
It capped off a stellar first-half performance from Leonard, who had 21 points and missed just one of his 10 shots from the field. An elite playoff performer who helped lead the Toronto Raptors to an NBA Finals victory in 2019, Leonard has looked more and more like that player over the recent weeks.
Kawhi Leonard in the first half:
21 PTS
2 AST
2 REB
9/10 FG
2/3 3FG
1 buzzer beaterClippers lead Nuggets 55-52. pic.twitter.com/5LWHKAIuWf
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) April 22, 2025
If the Clippers can secure the crucial win on Monday night, they’ll head back to the Intuit Dome tied 1-1, where they had a 30-11 record in their debut season.
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