The Los Angeles Clippers evened up their series (2-2) against the Utah Jazz last night, thanks to the help of an energized Kawhi Leonard. The small forward, who scored a whopping 31 points with seven rebounds, rushed the paint in the second quarter and made a spectacle of Utah forward Derrick Favors.
6’9″ Favors seemed no match for 6’7″ Leonard who easily jumped over the Jazz player and embarrassed him with a powerful dunk. Fans erupted in applause, and it seems this moment might turn the tide of the series as both teams fight towards the NBA finals.
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The Clippers had shown aggression and motivation as soon as they stepped on the court. By the time Leonard took the team and fans on his back and humiliated the Jazz defense, the Clippers were already up by 22. Leonard’s building confidence is only one part of the larger team’s momentum- coming back from a 2-0 disadvantage to now even up the series at 2-2.
The championship title would be Leonard’s 3rd career title- his first with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014 and the second marking his breakout career moment in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors. The Clippers will play Game 5 of their series tomorrow night in Utah.
Some fans had hilarious reactions to Leonard’s insane clip. One Twitter user mocked favors with: “Derrick Favors just solidified his legend in Utah forever, the man was willing to get baptized live on camera during a professional basketball game. Hats off to you sir,” while others joked that Leonard “sent that man to heaven.”
Check out fan reactions and the clip below: