Losing a winnable playoff game at home against a tough opponent might seem like a step backward, but having Leonard in the lineup again is a giant step forward for the Clippers and a boon to their …
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard drives to the basket as the Dallas Mavericks’ P.J. Washington defends during the first half of Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. LOS ANGELES — Leave it to Tyronn Lue to sit at a podium wearing a smug little grin after a playoff loss.
The Clippers could counter Dallas’ demonstrative king of the court with their deliberate king, who torched the Mavs in their wild seven-game series in 2021, averaging 32.1 points on 61.2% shooting. The other Clippers home playoff games – or “home” playoff games – in Leonard’s tenure since he signed on in 2019, occurred either in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, in the Orlando bubble or in a mostly empty Crytpo.com Arena, or after he’d been injured and was unavailable.
“I don’t ever like to take or look at the moral victories,” George went on. “We lost, which is frustrating and upsetting. But it is great having ‘2’ back out there with us.”
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