The Los Angeles Clippers, powered by an exceptional performance from Kawhi Leonard, secured a 105-102 road victory against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. This win ties the best-of-seven series in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at 1-1. Leonard's offensive prowess was instrumental in the Clippers' triumph at Ball Arena in Denver.

Following the game, Leonard acknowledged the Nuggets' strength, particularly at home, and praised Nikola Jokic as an MVP-caliber player with a strong supporting cast including Jamal Murray. He emphasized the tough, competitive nature of playoff basketball. According to NBA on TNT, Leonard stated that the game came down to getting crucial stops at the end.

Leonard's Game 2 performance was remarkable, as he scored 39 points with incredible efficiency, shooting 15-for-19 from the field and 4-for-7 from beyond the arc in 39 minutes. Despite Leonard's dominance, the Clippers only won by three points, highlighting the Nuggets' resilience in their home arena. Jokic posted a triple-double with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Murray contributed 23 points. Michael Porter Jr. bounced back from a lackluster Game 1 with 15 points and 15 rebounds.

Through the first two games of the series, Leonard has accumulated 61 points with a 70.6% field goal percentage. The Clippers are optimistic that Leonard can maintain this high level of play as they head back to Inglewood for Game 3 on Thursday.

Twitter buzzed with reactions to Leonard's performance. Law Murray noted that only a few games in Leonard's postseason career featured more made field goals. Sam Quinn discussed Leonard's place in all-time rankings, comparing his peak to a bigger, more three-point-oriented Kobe Bryant. Quinn also ranked this performance as potentially the third-best of Leonard's playoff career.

Further observations from Law Murray highlighted the impact of turnovers, noting that the Clippers won when the Nuggets had more turnovers than they did, and vice versa. Gerald Bourguet lauded Leonard's unstoppable form, while Melissa Rohlin suggested that this series could be the best of the playoffs. Kellan Olson drew comparisons to Leonard's dominant play in Phoenix during the start of the 2023 playoffs.

Tony Jones provided live updates during the game, noting Leonard's strong first half and James Harden's late awakening. Ramona Shelburne pointed out the Clippers' early reliance on Leonard and Zubac for scoring. Vinny Benedetto highlighted key plays and scoring contributions from both teams in the first quarter.