Darius Garland watched Kawhi Leonard dominate Wednesday night and admitted he had one regret after the Los Angeles Clippers’ 153-128 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Intuit Dome.
“I wish I would have helped him get the 50 ball,” Garland said. “But 45 and a dub is cool, I guess.”
Leonard finished with 45 points on 15-of-20 shooting, including 6-of-9 from three-point range and 9-of-10 at the free-throw line, powering Los Angeles to its highest-scoring game of the season.
The Clippers improved to 33-32, climbing above .500 after opening the season 6-21 and extending their surge to six wins in the last seven games.
Garland, who added 21 points and five three-pointers, said he found himself appreciating Leonard’s scoring run even while sharing the floor.
“I became a fan when I went out of the game,” Garland said. “Just to see him go to work like that, it’s great to see.”
The guard added that the opportunity to play alongside the two-time Finals MVP has changed his perspective.
“I’m just happy we got the same jersey on now instead of being on the opposite side of the ball from him,” Garland said. “I’m super happy to be able to run for him a little bit, swing the ball as much as I can and just watch him go to work.”
Los Angeles’ offense flowed from early defensive pressure, according to Garland, who pointed to the first few minutes of the game as the turning point.
“Defense. Defense,” Garland said when asked about the team’s offensive explosion. “That first five minutes really led to the first quarter and all the 48 minutes after that.”
The Clippers repeatedly turned stops into transition opportunities and open perimeter looks.
“The defense always leads to great offense,” Garland said. “We got out early in transition, a couple dunks, a couple layups, a couple open three balls, just a domino effect.”
Los Angeles shot 63% from the field and 51% from three-point range while finishing with 36 assists.
Garland said the team’s defensive focus centers on activity and forcing difficult shots.
“We usually try to be successful on that side of the ball, stay active and try to force them into tough twos,” he said. “That’s what happened for the rest of the game.”
Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 36 points, but the Timberwolves dropped their third straight game and fell to 40-26.
The Clippers’ recent stretch includes wins over playoff contenders, which Garland said has strengthened the locker room’s confidence.
“Beating some high contender teams is always fun,” Garland said. “It gives us a lot of confidence and just shows that we can go do it.”
Still, the guard emphasized that the team’s mindset remains focused on incremental progress.
“Like we’ve been saying the last couple days, the job isn’t done,” Garland said. “Got a lot more games to be played and a lot more success to be had, so we’re pushing.”
Garland is also continuing to work back into rhythm after injury and a midseason transition to a new team.
“I got some more ways to go,” he said.
