Kawhi Leonard believes that the LA Clippers need to make changes after their second-half collapse against Golden State
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Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers watched yet another easy win slip away from their grasp after their offense stagnated in the second half of their matchup against the Stephen Curry led Warriors. When asked about the team’s performance in the post-game interview, Kawhi Leonard said:
“We’ve got to change it. We’ve got to get better.”
Over the last two seasons, the Clippers have lost eight games when leading by 15 points or more. The most notable of these losses were against the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of last season’s Western Conference Semi-Finals where they coughed up an 18-point lead in the second half. The Clippers need to diagnose these issues quickly if they want to be a legitimate title contender this season.
Good Lord! What an explosion by the @warriors. This brother @StephenCurry30 is just special. The Greatest Shooter on the planet earth. Meanwhile, Kawhi & the @LAClippers have no answer. Put their heads down when adversity arrived. I don’t know if I believe anymore.
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) January 9, 2021
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Kawhi Leonard’s personal struggles: A factor in the late game woes of the Clippers
Kawhi finished the night with a pretty solid stat line of 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. However, he has not been able to show up for his team when it matters the most. During critical moments of the game, when matched up against Andrew Wiggins, he scored 1 of 8 from the field.
This hasn’t been the first time this season that the Klaw has not been able to deliver when called upon. After missing the game-tying 3 point field goal in the final moments of their recent loss to the Spurs, Kawhi Leonard is now 1-9 in his career on potential go-ahead or game-tying shots from behind the arc in the final 24 seconds of the 4th quarter.
Kawhi performed less than optimally on the defensive end of the floor in the second half against the Dubs. He was not able to inspire confidence in his teammates when they needed it the most. This resulted in Stephen Curry dropping nearly twenty points in the third quarter and riding on that momentum to push his team past the finish line.
The Clippers will hope to put this disgraceful performance behind them. They’d want a more competent performance in their upcoming matchup against the Chicago Bulls.