If you haven’t seen Kawhi Leonard’s career play out every here and now, you probably would never know how unstoppable he is. And even if you have seen The Klaw’s dominance, it has been scattered by one injury after another. It’s been five years since the 33-year-old last finished a season for the LA Clippers. It’s been four years since we last saw him in his playoff form. With every surgery and procedure, it seemed less and less likely that we’d ever see him at his best again. Until this season’s playoffs! While he was already starting to see his old version’s flashes during the last stretch of the season, everyone wanted Kawhi to emulate that in the playoffs. With 39 points with 15-of-19 from the field, five assists, and just a single turnover, Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers to secure a 105-102 win. What more do you expect?
After a heartbreaking overtime loss in Saturday’s Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets, Kawhi Leonard was ready to unleash himself in Game 2. He did, and most importantly, he leveled the series 1-1. He looked unstoppable on the night. So much so that his spectacular performance even made an opposition player make a major confession. Denver’s veteran star, DeAndre Jordan, could not help but express his feelings after seeing Kawhi absolutely dominate the court. The 36-year-old on the show Run It Back, where he discussed Leonard’s Game 2 performance.
“Yeah, I mean, obviously we’ve seen Kawhi in San Antonio and then in Toronto. And that’s where… I think some people can’t do anything about injuries, but I think this season looks amazing.” Jordan stated. “And, it felt like he did not miss a shot the other night. He was extremely efficient. W’ve got to give him different looks and throw different things at him. But, you know, Kawhi is a great player, man, and you just gotta live with some of the tough shots he makes. And I just try not to let him do that, and then other people as well.” Indeed, DeAndre Jordan rates Leonard very highly by the looks of his statement, and rightly so. He also pointed out how the Nuggets tried to tackle Kawhi on Tuesday.
Jan 4, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) dribbles the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during the second quarter at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
First, it was Aaron Gordon who took up the assignment to guard Leonard. Soon, it became clear that Gordon wasn’t going to enough some other defenders who also tried their luck, but couldn’t stop him. Kawhi was shooting with precision and didn’t care about who was guarding him. In his words, “I’m just focused on the next play and trying to win.” And about the tough shots he takes? Well, he decides to shoot and live with the outcome, good or bad, whatever it is. The Clippers will be hoping to see more of Leonard’s brilliance as they gear up for a perfectly poised Game 3. Meanwhile, the league has been urged to check on Clippers’ assistant coach, Jeff Van Gundy, for an unusual incident on the sidelines.
The NBA urged to look into Jeff Van Gundy’s courtside antics
Just like Kawhi Leonard, only a few defenders have come close to guarding Denver’s Nikola Jokic. The three-time league MVP is not easy to stop once he gets going, especially in a crucial playoff matchup. However, on Saturday, for a brief moment during the first matchup between the Nuggets and the LA Clippers, former Knicks head coach and present Clippers assistant coach, Jeff Van Gundy, found a way to stop the Joker. With just 34 seconds left on the clock and Van Gundy’s team in position to use a challenge following a Kawhi Leonard turnover, Jokic, who’s known for inbounding the ball quickly, wanted to do just that.
However, Jeff Van Gundy, along with trainer Jasen Powell, did not want to hand the ball to Jokic. This led to a tussle between the Denver star and the two coaches, who tried to wrestle the ball while sitting on the chairs. Denver trailed by one at the time, and LA escaped, receiving even a delay warning. However, Tyronn Lue risked his final challenge and timeout; the call ended up being upheld, and the Nuggets got the ball, anyway. However, no one is forgetting the wrestling matchup between Van Gundy and 6-foot-11, 284-pounder Nikola Jokic! In fact, after watching the Clippers assistant’s incredible strength, DeAndre Jordan has called for the league to check Van Gundy’s superhuman abilities.
Jokic was fighting with Jeff Van Gundy for the ball pic.twitter.com/LtelYsrTRE
— Underdog (@Underdog) April 19, 2025
“There’s no way! Jeff Van Gundy isn’t off the bench when he pulls the basketball. We need to get him tested tomorrow.” DeAndre Jordan joked after seeing the video. Well, it’s hilarious to see a 6-foot-11 Serbian trying his best to knock off the ball of a 63-year-old Jeff Van Gundy. It seems the former New York coach has been a regular at the gym, or else, as DeAndre Jordan suggests, we might have to get him tested. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how this series unfolds and who takes the lead from here on as we head to Game 3 with both teams tied at 1-1.
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