In game two, amid franchise superstar Kawhi Leonard going for 39 points, the Denver Nuggets went unresponsive when the two-time champion was in the kitchen. There were countless shots, like his pre-half triple, where the defense was pristine, but it did not hinge the unconscious Leonard.
Scoring this amount of points in under 40 minutes while shooting nearly 80% sounds like an elite big man would do by making easy, unchallenged layups around the rim. Conversely, the six-time All-Star had Denver's defense frying in hot grease on all three levels.
Furthermore, David Adelman and the Nuggets' staff ideally corrected their frail system to reduce Leonard's scoring. This correction was not overly complicated given their adequate size and length with Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. In fact, Leonard has been hypnotized ever since.
That said, how have the Nuggets caused Leonard to score under 25 in back-to-back games?
The Nuggets are sending double-teams, and Kawhi Leonard is settling for jumpers rather than driving inside
When Kawhi Leonard catches the ball with a defender on his hip, he most often looks to attack the paint. He is one-of-one at getting to his spots and scoring, which is why his game two performance was irrationally efficient.
Moreover, David Adelman decided to trap Leonard the split second he attained tunnel vision with the iron. This signaled that an aggressive move was coming, and a swarm of Nuggets would stop his midrange, forcing the rock out of his possession or a settled three-point shot.
Leonard has tried shooting into a double team but did not succeed by going 17 of his last 39 attempts. He was also more passive, especially in the 34-point win, with a 2025 postseason high of six assists.
Racking assists is great for most, but Leonard is the offensive anomaly. He must not do what Adelman wants in bucket-getting moments.
The only way for Leonard to crack Denver's code is to get as close to the basket as possible. He must do his best to bump defenders and get a shot up, as his game is not ordinary. Just one defender contesting would be a low-quality attempt for most players in the association, but not him.
That said, Leonard is falling into the Nuggets' bait. He is taking what he can get rather than forcing his issue, which will dissuade head coach Tyronn Lue from finishing the upset.