Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue highlighted Kawhi Leonard’s late-game dominance after Wednesday’s 105-102 win over the Houston Rockets. “Come on, Kawhi, you know, on the game’s on the line, we know where the ball’s going. He brought us home tonight, got to his spot, big three-point play,” Lue said.
Lue emphasized the team’s collective effort despite shooting struggles. “It was a total team effort. Brook Lopez protecting the rim all night, KD’s defense all night, DJ, John Collins, guys kept fighting and kept competing and kept scrapping.”
Defensive execution played a key role in the comeback. “We turned them over 21 times, and when we were able to blitz and cause chaos, we got out in transition. That’s what helped us out,” Lue explained.
Leonard’s fourth-quarter surge was part of a 12-0 run that erased a 13-point deficit. “Just took over the game, took control of the game,” Lue said. “Your shots not gonna fall every night, but he passes, guards well, and then late, he makes the plays to win it.”
Lue praised the contributions of Kris Dunn and John Collins in transition. “JC shot the gap on a lot of those pocket passes to Sengun. KD, that’s him every night. It allowed us to get out in transition and get some easy baskets.”
Brook Lopez’s defense and timely scoring also drew high marks. “Lopez obviously made a big shot for us, but defensively, he was really good guarding Sengun, protecting the rim. It starts with our defense,” Lue said.
The Clippers limited turnovers, a point Lue stressed as crucial. “We took care of the basketball, only having 11 turnovers. We didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, but we made plays down the stretch.”
Lue noted the growing integration of new players. “He’s been good and he’s going to get better once he understands the plays. To come in and play two games with no practices, I think it’s a good job.”
Leonard’s performance extended his career-best streak of 20-point games to 33. “Down the stretch after trusting the game plan all game, to get 19 in the fourth quarter tells you what kind of player he is,” Lue said.
The Clippers improved to 26-28, holding onto a Western Conference play-in spot, while Houston fell to 33-21. Los Angeles will host Denver on Feb. 19, with Houston visiting Charlotte the same night.
