Kawhi Leonard and Paul George go nuclear
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have made sure to get their money’s worth against the Washington Wizards this season.
The star duo combined for 61 points tonight, which is the second-highest total they’ve scored in a game so far this season. The only time they’ve been better was last Sunday, December 1 when the LA Clippers hosted the Wizards — they went for 65 in that one.
Scoring wasn’t the only area of the game in which the two contributed, though. Leonard and George also hauled in a combined 17 rebounds, dished out 11 assists and came up with five steals.
Each player made history in the process.
Leonard’s line of 34 points, 11 rebounds and five assists is a rare one to achieve, and he did so while shooting above 65 percent from the field. The last time a member of the Clippers did that was in 2011, when Blake Griffin had a similar line against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
George’s performance put him in even more exclusive company. He finished the game with 27 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals in 25 minutes, becoming the second player in NBA history to record at least 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals in under 26 minutes.
The performances, like Walton’s, were extremely timely. Leonard and George struggled mightily against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, combining for just 30 points on 10-26 shooting. Both players looked eager to put that game behind them tonight, and they couldn’t have done so in a better way.
Hopefully their confidence sticks with them for the next two games, as each player will return to face one of their former teams — George with the Pacers and Leonard with the Raptors.