Leonard opens up about what he and James Harden want out of games after combining for 70 points in a win against the Houston Rockets.
The Los Angeles Clippers picked up a much-needed win on Tuesday night, beating the Houston Rockets 128-108 at Intuit Dome.
Kawhi Leonard dropped a season-high 41 points while James Harden added 29, and the duo combined for 70 points in one of their best performances together this season.
After the game, Leonard was asked if he and Harden putting up 70 points together is exactly what the Clippers are looking for from their star duo, and his answer showed just how focused he is on the bigger picture.
Kawhi Leonard's Response
"Yea— No. Not really. We're hoping to win. We had games like that before and we're not in the win column. For us, me and James, we wanna win the game. We can easily go out here and try to get 30, 40 points. But we have to win."
Leonard's message was that the points only matter if they come with a win, and that has been the problem for the Clippers this season.
Despite having two of the most talented scorers in the league, Los Angeles has struggled to put together complete performances, and big stat lines have not always led to victories.
A Monster Night From Leonard and Harden
Leonard was as good as he has been all year against Houston, shooting 16-of-23 from the field and knocking down four of his five three-point attempts.
It was the kind of takeover performance that reminded everyone what he can do when he is healthy and locked in.
Harden was just as impressive, running the offense and making plays while also filling up the scoring column with his 29 points on the night.
The former MVP has been one of the most consistent players in the league this season, averaging 25.8 points, 8.2 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game so far.
Leonard has also been putting up strong numbers, averaging 25.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while playing in 19 games this year.
Looking Ahead
The win moves the Clippers to 8-21 on the season, which still has them near the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
But with two straight wins now under their belt after also beating the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, there is at least some momentum heading into the second half of December.
If Leonard and Harden can keep playing at this level and the Clippers can find a way to stack wins together, maybe there is a path forward for this team.
But as Leonard made clear after the game, the focus has to be on winning first and the individual numbers second.