Leonard feels energized by his teammates.
The Los Angeles Clippers went into Memphis on Saturday night playing on the second night of a back-to-back, and they walked out with a hard-fought 123-120 win over the Grizzlies behind another big performance from Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard dropped 28 points on 8-of-15 shooting to go along with five rebounds and two steals, and he did it one night after putting up 30 points in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.
That is 58 combined points across both nights of the back-to-back for the two-time Finals MVP, and when he spoke after the win in Memphis, he did not make it complicated.
"I'm just having fun with the unit," Leonard said.
Clippers Come Back From 19 Down
It was not easy for Los Angeles early on, as the Grizzlies jumped out to a 19-point lead in the first half and looked like they were going to run the Clippers out of the building.
But Leonard scored 15 of his 28 points in the first half to help cut the deficit down to just one point at the break, and the Clippers took control from there.
Darius Garland was huge down the stretch with 11 of his 21 points coming in the fourth quarter along with six assists on the night, giving Leonard the kind of second option he has needed since the trade deadline shakeup.
Bennedict Mathurin added 21 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double while Derrick Jones Jr. chipped in 16 points, and the balanced effort was undoubtedly what this team needed on a night when they shot just 4-for-17 from three-point range for a season-low from beyond the arc.
Jordan Miller and Leonard each hit a pair of free throws in the final two minutes to put the Clippers ahead 121-118, and Mathurin sealed things at the line with 4.4 seconds left after Ty Jerome's last-second three for Memphis missed the mark.
Leonard Playing His Best Ball
What stands out about Leonard right now is just how consistent he has been, and how healthy he looks doing it.
He is averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game this season and has been the driving force behind a Clippers team that started the year at a brutal 6-21 but has since climbed all the way back to 31-32.
Playing both ends of the back-to-back and still putting up 28 and 30 points on those nights shows that Leonard is feeling good physically and is locked in with the group around him.
The addition of Garland in the trade that sent James Harden to Cleveland has given Leonard a real running mate, and it is showing up in the way the offense moves when both of them are on the floor together.
Where Things Stand
The win moved the Clippers to 31-32 on the season and kept them right in the thick of the Western Conference play-in race, while Memphis fell to 23-39 with their third straight loss as injuries continue to pile up for the Grizzlies.
Los Angeles has now won four of their last five games and will host the New York Knicks on Monday night as they try to keep climbing the standings.
When you are putting up nearly 28 points a game on almost 50 percent shooting and your team is winning, there is a lot to have fun with.