Denver – last year at this time, Kohi Leonard He was outer. It was painful to watch him trying to play through inflammation in his right knee before No clips Finally, it was closed before the match 4 of the first round loss in the first round to Dallas Maverx.
It took months until Leonard recovered from his injuries. To a long time to the point that Clippers had to go forward and know how to play without him in the first part of this season, reporters mainly stopped coach Tyronn Lue to get updates.
But behind the scenes, Leonard was working to return to a physical form until he had spent a night as he did on Monday in Clippers 105-102 victory on Denver Nags In the game 2 of the match of a match in the first round of Ball Arena.
“I am happy that I am able to move,” Leonard said after recording 39 points in 15 against 19 of the field. “This is what I am proud to be in good health. I sat and watched these qualifying games and a series in the past two years. So, the ability to be there, it seems good for me regardless of the way the game is going.”
Leonard sat for 23 days due to inflammation on his right knee in an attempt to prepare for the qualifiers last season, only to respond to the injury well and finally it was excluded from this series. At that time, it seemed to close the tournament window that was formed when he joined Paul George In 2019 then added James Harden In a trade on October 31, 2023, George left as a free worker last summer. Leonard and Hardin re -signed a team friendly contracts.
Leonard managed to play in just 37 games this season, trying to get his knee in good condition enough to help Clepers in the qualifiers. To date, it responds.
Harden said of Leonard, who presented the six footage, which was lost 3 points, then lost six others in a row and ended up scoring or assisting at 51 points from the Clippers (49 %).
“His ability to make lead is the elite,” Harden continued. “This is the aggression that we need from him. It does not matter what is going on, or who is guarding him, he has reached a place and raised it. He is a big player.”
Leonard was equal to the defense, as he was carrying Nags to five points (2 out of 12 field goals) when he was the main defender. He also reached a huge theft of a Nicolas Gokic Pass (his seventh sales of the game) with leaving 38 seconds, and the clips cling to three points.
Leonard said he is trying to keep his focus on what is in front of him, whether it is the next play or the next game. He does not allow himself to think very far or reflects deeply in the place of his existence. But after Monday’s match – his best match in a playoffs since he led Clepers to the Western Conference Finals in 2021 – Leonard indicated that he thanked many employees for everything they did to help him during his injuries in the past few years.
Leonard said: “Anyone at work plays and knows how difficult it is to return from injury or even play in the American Professional League. They understand what we all go through, and what he ordered.” “… I will not play as I was before. I can play better. I can play worse. It doesn’t matter. I just focus on it now. It is a different team in every situation and game, so I just take what I have and play hard, as I said, and enjoy the results.”
Harden was with Cleibers for only two seasons, but he said he came to estimate all the work that Leonard runs behind the scenes just to return to play.
Harden said of Leonard: “It is every day.” “It is the preparation. It is like treatment, it enhances, you know what I mean, from the body, it is corrections, and then he goes on the field and puts it together. Fortune was not by his side or any issue you might call. But he loves the collar.
“I’m just happy because I am able to move. That’s what I am proud of is to be in good health. I sat and watched the Play of games and a series in the past two years. So, the ability to be there, it seems good for me regardless of the way the game is going.”
Kohi Leonard
Harden also took advantage of the opportunity to defend Leonard from critics who talk about the perception that he and Kleepers “run” his injuries over the years.
Harden said: “It is always negative. It is always what he has passed and unable to do just because of something he cannot control,” Harden said. “But we do not appreciate how great it is when there is already and offers likes like this tonight. I feel that this is towards everyone in the league that passes through something outside their hands where they cannot control it. It is as if it’s always negative – something that we must live with, I think, in the world. But for me, he is close to every day and sees the work he studies, you can appreciate it.”
Leonard got a star last month of the normal season, and is built at night like Monday. But Cleibers needed every ounce of what he gave them to overcome nuggets.
Jokic scored the last trilogy (26 points, 12 rebounds, 10 decisive passes), but he was clearly frustrated by the defensive and physical coverage that Cleibers delivered. He ended with seven unfamiliar transformations and even missed four free throws.
Murray beauty He added 23 points and Michael Porter Junior He had 15 years, but Denver had no answer to Leonard on Monday evening and could not recover from 20 rotations, which led to 21 Klibers.
The teams will have two days before the resumption of its series on Thursday night in Los Angeles.
