To say the last few seasons for Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers have been successful would be a major stretch.
However, capping off an extremely successful week for the two-time NBA Finals MVP, Leonard dropped a career-high 55 points against the Detroit Pistons, setting an Intuit Dome all-time high, and tying the Clippers’ franchise record.
Most recently, Leonard was named the NBA Player of the Week for the Western Conference, putting up averages of 41.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.7 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game on 57.9/50.0/97.0 shooting splits while leading the Clippers to an undefeated 3-0 record during Week 10 of the 2025-26 NBA season.
Though it was an extremely rough stretch for Los Angeles to start the season, they’ve now won four games in a row, and the latest hot streak from Leonard is at least a positive for the aging roster.
Kawhi Leonard Player Of The Week Winner
Competing against the likes of Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards, and others in the Western Conference for having the best week is a tough task, but one Leonard accomplished this week.
He began by dropping 41 points, eight rebounds, and five assists on nearly 70% shooting in a 20-point win against the Houston Rockets.
Leonard then followed that up with 28 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals in a victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. It wasn’t his best shooting night of the season, and while James Harden and Brook Lopez each scored more points, Leonard still filled in the statsheet in 41 minutes, an uncommon occurrence for him at this point in his career.
The two-time Defensive Player of the Year then followed that up with a career-high 55 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, five steals, and three blocks on 65.4/50/94.1 shooting splits in a win against the top-of-the-East Pistons. He had 51 through three quarters and beat his previous career-high scoring of 45 points with ease.
“I‘ve never really been in this situation. I try to get guys the ball and just sharing it,” Leonard said after the win. “But the coaches need me to be aggressive the entire game. Just a different evolution. Me trying to shoot more threes and trying to evolve my game to today’s game.”
Though not at the same level he was at during his 2014 and 2019 title runs, Leonard’s performances over the past week prove once again that he is one of the best wing players the league has seen this century.
Clippers Have Won Four In A Row
Despite their recent strong run, the Clippers had been rumored to be interested in at least hearing trades for both Leonard and Harden. As of now, those talks have quieted, as, along with the lesser return they would get back for the two stars late in their careers, they’ve both been solid for Los Angeles recently.
This season, Harden is averaging 26.3 points, five rebounds, and eight assists on 43.5% shooting. While not as efficient as his Rockets days, Harden remains a top-tier offensive hub, as seen recently, and can contribute to winning games. He and Leonard are the only two players on the Clippers roster averaging more than 16 points per game.
Ivica Zubac remains an impactful player for Los Angeles, but he’s been hurt for the past week and expects to be out until at least mid-January.
Besides them, the Clippers have seen the unexpected rise of Lopez in Zubac’s place. He’s even further away from his prime than the two stars, but has played significant minutes over the past few weeks while manning the post for the franchise.
While the Clippers have won four in a row against some solid teams, that’s come after they lost ten of 11 games. Overall, their 10-21 record paints some major issues, but for now, the strong performances out of Leonard are a bright spot for the mostly-flailing organization.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post NBA Announces Kawhi Leonard News After Career-High 55 Points appeared first on Heavy Sports.