Kawhi Leonard praised Bennedict Mathurin after the LA Clippers’ 115-114 victory over the Denver Nuggets at Intuit Dome. “To have another scorer that can get 30 points… watched him in the finals, he was doing it all year last year with the Pacers. It’s great to have him,” Leonard said.
He highlighted Denver’s defensive challenges. “Jokic is a three-level scorer, great passer. Jamal Murray, their two-man play is great… both can knock down threes and score at three different levels,” Leonard explained.
On handling Denver’s traps, Kawhi said, “We’ve been doing good… throughout the whole game. We’re just going to keep getting this better. Guys keep getting good looks.”
The Clippers benefited from secondary scoring in the fourth quarter. “It’s great from anybody to lead us in the fourth. If it’s me, him, JC, Ben, KD… it’s always another boost for the team,” he noted. Leonard added about Derrick Jones Jr., “He scored 13 in the first and kept it going… got out in transition, made layups, hit big threes. It’s been a great pickup.”
Leonard also praised fan support. “They’ve been great all year… always loud, always trying to get in the opponent’s head… another boost for us in fourth quarters or if we need energy throughout the game,” he said.
On the development of the Clippers’ younger roster, Leonard reflected, “Just developing over time… every day is a day to grow, learn, and get better. Keep looking over time and see in two weeks if we’re getting better.”
Regarding late-game free throws, he admitted, “I was just hoping he was going to miss one. Over the last 10 days, we got a win in Minnesota, Houston, beat the Nuggets tonight… it’s good to always get a win.”
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When asked about the team rallying to reach .500 after a rough start, Leonard added, “We’re not saying, ‘Oh, we’re 6 and 21, look how great we’ve been.’ We go in every night trying to beat the opponent. If we get over 500, that’s great… just keep pushing to see if we get a playoff seed.”
Leonard contributed 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting, extending his streak to 34 consecutive 20-point games. Mathurin scored 38 in his home debut, while Derrick Jones Jr. added 22 points, including the foul that nearly allowed Denver to force overtime.
The Clippers shot 47% overall and 25-of-30 from the free-throw line, offsetting 8-of-33 shooting from beyond the arc. Leonard’s leadership, combined with the team’s balanced scoring, proved decisive in keeping Los Angeles in the Western Conference play-in mix.
