The Los Angeles Clippers were able to score a season-high 153 points in their rout of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night, and there are multiple reasons why they were able to accomplish this: 

After a dreadful start to the season that saw them fall to 6-21, the Clippers have brought themselves back from the brink. 

Wednesday's win brings them to 33-32 and over .500 for the first time this season. They are now the first team in NBA history to  move above .500 after falling at least 15 games below .500 in the same season.

Kawhi Leonard has been playing at another level in his age 34 season despite all the injuries he has consistently suffered throughout his career, and Wednesday night was one of his best performances. 

“The Klaw” scored 45 points in under 32 minutes of play. He also did it on just 20 shots while making 15. From the perimeter, he was able to drill six of his nine 3-point attempts, and he hit nine of his 10 free throws. 

It is the second time this season Leonard has notched 45 points, with the first occurrence coming on New Year’s Day in a win over the Utah Jazz. If you thought two 45-point performances weren’t crazy enough, it was not even Leonard’s highest scoring game of the season — that happened in a Dec. 28 win over the Detroit Pistons in which he dropped 55 points. 

Through 50 games this season, Leonard is averaging 27.1 points per game, the highest mark of his 14-year career. 

While Leonard was certainly the star of the show, he did not have to do it all on his own. Four other Clippers finished in double figures: Bennedict Mathurin (22), Darius Garland (21), Jordan Miller (14) and Derrick Jones Jr. (12). 

Additionally, each of those players except Miller shot at least 50% from the field, and none of them fell to negative +/- ratings.  

The Clippers let the Timberwolves score a lot of points, and Minnesota ended up with six double figure scorers to Los Angeles’s four, but it did not matter. 

Anthony Edwards led the way for Minnesota with 36 points, but none of his five teammates who hit double digits were able to reach 20 points. Additionally, the Timberwolves committed 21 turnovers. 

Meanwhile, the Clippers racked up 16 steals and four blocks in the victory. Their ability to turn Minnesota over paired with a red-hot shooting night (63.4% from the field, 51.4% from the perimeter) propelled them to victory.  

Since returning from a toe injury to make his Clippers after a blockbuster trade spelled the end of his six-plus year tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Darius Garland has been very solid in his new role.  

The 26-year-old is averaging 17.8 points and 6.8 assists in four games with Los Angeles (two starts), showcasing his ability as a scorer and a facilitator. James Harden was the better player in the trade involving Garland, but when he is healthy, he can do a lot for his new team as he did for Cleveland.