LeBron James and Luka Dončić have ignited the city of Los Angeles, propelling their team from the seventh to the second seed in the Western Conference overnight. However, Sunday night’s matchup between the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings reminded everyone that the battle for playoff positioning is far from over — especially after Kawhi Leonard delivered a thrilling, buzzer-beating game-winner in overtime.
The victory was a crucial one for a Clippers team fighting to secure a playoff spot in an increasingly tight Western Conference, where the sixth and tenth seeds are separated by just 3.5 games. After losing six of their last seven games, the Clippers have now turned things around with a three-game win streak, defeating the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, and Sacramento Kings.
Kawhi Leonard is still a difference-maker
Leonard’s game-winning shot wasn’t just a testament to the Clippers' resilience — it was proof of why his presence makes all the difference. After missing the start of the season due to a misdiagnosed injury, Leonard has made an immediate impact upon returning, averaging 18.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.2 steals across 22 games.
While his absence wasn’t ideal, it did allow Norman Powell to step up and have a breakout year, averaging a career-high 23.8 points on 49.4 percent shooting from the field and 42.4 percent from three. Although Powell is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, his stellar play helped keep the Clippers afloat, and Leonard has now regained some much-needed confidence just in time for the season’s final stretch.
It’s no secret that Kawhi Leonard is destined for the Hall of Fame, with two NBA championships and two Finals MVPs to his name — one with the San Antonio Spurs and another with the Toronto Raptors. Though injuries have often kept him off the court more than he would have liked, he’s determined to lead another deep postseason run, one that could once again defy expectations.
The Clippers have silenced doubters all season, hovering around the fifth seed until late January. With the Western Conference standings constantly shifting, it’s been an unpredictable year. The Oklahoma City Thunder have remained dominant at the top, while teams like the Phoenix Suns — who started the season with the NBA’s best record — have fallen out of the Play-In picture entirely. Meanwhile, the young and talented Houston Rockets have dropped from second to fifth.
With just 18 games remaining, the Clippers face the eighth-hardest schedule in the league. The road ahead won’t be easy, but if they hope to secure a top-six seed and avoid the play-in tournament, they’ll need every player to step up and deliver their best basketball when it matters most.