On January 7th, Beijing time, the Clippers were beaten 17-0, and their team leader suddenly left the court, giving all his teammates a heavy blow. Leonard's decision to leave the game was a shock to everyone, leaving Harden with no choice but to shrug his shoulders, which is why they suffered a triple kill.
The game between the Clippers and the Timberwolves truly showcased the intensity of the playoffs. The Los Angeles Clippers had a lead of up to 19 points, but were dramatically reversed by the Timberwolves in the third quarter. The biggest impact came at a critical moment when they were being turned around, and Leonard dealt a heavy blow to his teammates by announcing his withdrawal from the game!
At that point, the Clippers had already experienced a stunning 29-point comeback. They had been leading by 19 points, but were then overtaken by 10 points. In this crucial moment, what the team needed most was for their leader to step up. However, the camera then shifted to the sidelines, showing Leonard choosing to exit the game. The camera captured the moment when the Clippers' leader, who had just been hit with a 17-0 run, was substituted off the court. Seeing Leonard in such a state, it was clear that their morale had taken a massive hit. They were playing and then he just left the court. Who could bear that?
Leonard's shooting percentage at the time was 3 out of 11 shots in 21 minutes, scoring 8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. However, his plus-minus on the court was -17, ranking him last on the team. With him leaving the court to rest, Harden also appeared helpless, his eyes filled with confusion. When he was on the court, he at least served as a distraction and played good defense. Now that he's gone, there's no one to draw the opponent's defense.
Of course, Leonard has recently only been squatting in the corner, not really investing much in the game. It can only be said that Leonard is indeed rusty. In the past, he probably wouldn't have made such a decision, but now he seems to be covered in rust. Even when the Clippers were hit with a 17-0 run, he didn't score. He missed a half-open layup and a corner three-pointer. He finally scored one, but it was called back due to an offensive foul on Harden. Who can reason with that?
The key point is that when a core player leaves the court at such a time, it actually has a significant impact on the other teammates on the Clippers. At a time when they desperately needed points and were trying to catch up, with only 7 minutes and 15 seconds left, you just left without saying a word. Moreover, once he left, the point difference widened to double digits. Just looking at the other Clippers players on the bench, they probably had their own thoughts. Looking at his physical condition, Leonard now appears very stiff, not even possessing half of his peak strength. When will he recover?
In the end, as expected, Edwards' two crucial three-pointers shattered the Clippers. At this moment, everyone probably misses the person who could defend against Edwards, but the modern Jordan sitting below could only watch the modern Jordan on the court show off his prowess.