RealGM Basketball Wiretap

01 May 2025

• Kawhi Leonard: I'm Just Happy That I'm Able To Move

  Kawhi Leonard delivered a dominant 39-point performance to lead the LA Clippers to a crucial 105-102 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series, marking a return to health after years of injury struggles. Leonard shot 15-for-19 from the field and either scored or assisted on 51 of the Clippers' 105 points (49%).

  Leonard's return to playoff form stands in stark contrast to last season, when knee inflammation forced him to miss most of the Clippers' first-round series against Dallas, eventually being shut down ahead of Game 4 in what became a painful end to their championship hopes.

  Leonard's health struggles continued into this season, limiting him to just 37 games as he focused on strengthening his knee for the playoffs.

  "I'm just happy that I'm able to move," Leonard said after the game. "That's what I'm taking pride in is just being healthy. I sat and watched these playoff games and series the past two years. So being able to be frontline out there, it just feels good for me no matter which way the game goes."

  Leonard was equally impactful on defense, holding Nuggets players to just five points on 2-of-12 shooting when he was the primary defender. Leonard's crucial steal on a Nikola Jokic pass with 38 seconds remaining helped secure the victory with the Clippers leading by just three points.

  Despite facing criticism for his limited availability in recent years, Leonard has remained focused on the present rather than dwelling on past injuries.

  "Tonight, s---, I don't feel like he missed a shot," James Harden said of Leonard's performance. "His shotmaking ability is elite. And that's the aggressiveness that we need from him. Doesn't matter what's going on, or who's guarding him, he just got to a spot and raised up. He's a big-time player."

  "It's always negative. It's always what he's been through and what he's not able to do just because of something that he can't control," Harden added, defending Leonard from load management criticism. "But we don't appreciate how great he is when he's actually out there and putting on performances like this tonight."

  "Anybody in the business that's playing and knows how hard it is to either to come back from injury or just even playing in the NBA, they understand what we all go through, what I go through," Leonard said.

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Privately Said 'Paul George Is Not Better Than Me" After 2019 Trade

  Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's rise to MVP frontrunner with the Oklahoma City Thunder has vindicated a bold prediction he made early in his career, according to Detroit Pistons guard Dennis Schroder.

  When Gilgeous-Alexander arrived in Oklahoma City in 2019 as part of the Paul George trade package from the Los Angeles Clippers, the then-second-year guard made a striking claim to his new teammate Schroder.

  "One thing that really pops out, Shai said, 'I don't know why they traded me for Paul George.' I was like, 'What you mean?' He said, 'He's not better than me,'" said Schroder to Sportsnet.ca

  At that time, George was coming off a season where he averaged 28 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game, earning first-team All-NBA and All-Defense honors while finishing third in MVP voting.

  Nearly six years later, Gilgeous-Alexander has established himself as the leading candidate for the NBA's Most Valuable Player award, averaging a league-leading 32.7 points along with 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals while shooting 51.7 percent from the field.

  Mark Daigneault noted that Gilgeous-Alexander's emergence as an elite player became evident during the NBA bubble in 2020, when practices revealed "another gear with the ball in his hands that maybe we haven't seen because of the other guys on the team."

  This season, Gilgeous-Alexander joined Michael Jordan and James Harden as the only players in NBA history to average at least 32 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.5 steals with a True Shooting percentage of 60.0 or better.

  "I mean, he's not arrogant, it's just his confidence is through the roof," Schroder said. "Because he knows how much work he puts in. And you can see it on the court, too. He's got that dog in him, and he's doing it real silent, too... he's not really a talker. But when you go at him, he's like, 'Okay, but I'm gonna show you.' And when he goes at you, it's gonna be a long night, you know?"

  "If I had the exact same numbers I had and we were 10th in the West, [the numbers] wouldn't matter," Gilgeous-Alexander said about his MVP candidacy. "The reason why I have my success is because of this team and because of this group, and that's all it's really about. I always say it's about winning, and when you win, everything else falls in line."

• James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo Named NBA's Players Of Week 25

  James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the NBA's Players of the Week for Week 25.

  Harden averaged 29.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 10.5 assists as the Los Angeles Clippers went 4-0 and captured the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.

  Antetokounmpo averaged 27.7 points, 11.7 rebounds and 10.0 assists as the Milwaukee Bucks went 4-0.

• 2025 NBA Playoffs: First-Round Matchups Set As Regular Season Concludes

  The Oklahoma City Thunder secured homecourt advantage for the duration of the playoffs with their 68-14 record and NBA-best +12.9 Net Rating. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics were bunched together in second and third in both record and Net Rating.

  The best matchups of the first round figure to be the Los Angeles Lakers against Minnesota Timberwolves less than a year after Luka Doncic faced them with his former team in the Western Conference Finals. The Houston Rockets against either the Golden State Warriors or Memphis Grizzlies will also be close and contentious, as should the New York Knicks against the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference.

  The opening games of the playoffs begin next weekend following the conclusion of the Play-In Tournament on Friday.

  Western Conference
  • (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Play-In Winner between loser of Golden State Warriors/Memphis Grizzlies or Sacramento Kings/Dallas Mavericks
  • (2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Play-In Winner of Golden State Warriors/Memphis Grizzlies
  • (3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
  • (4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) LA Clippers

  Eastern Conference
  • (1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Play-In Winner between loser of Orlando Magic/Atlanta Hawks or Chicago Bulls/Miami Heat
  • (2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Play-In Winner of Orlando Magic/Atlanta Hawks
  • (3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Detroit Pistons
  • (4) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks
  
  NBA Play-In Tournament
  Western Conference
  • (8) Memphis Grizzlies vs. (7) Golden State Warriors (Tues., Apr. 15 - 10 p.m. ET on TNT)
  • (10) Dallas Mavericks vs. (9) Sacramento Kings (Wed., Apr. 16 - 10 p.m. ET on ESPN)
  
  Eastern Conference
  • (8) Atlanta Hawks vs. (7) Orlando Magic (Tues., Apr. 15 - 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT)
  • (10) Miami Heat vs. (9) Chicago Bulls (Wed., Apr. 16 - 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN)

• Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo Named NBA's Players Of Week 24

  Kawhi Leonard and Giannis Antetokounmpo has been named the NBA's Players of the Week for Week 24.

  Leonard averaged 24.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals as the Los Angeles Clippers went 4-0.

  Antetokounmpo averaged 36.0 points, 12.3 rebounds and 13.7 assists as the Milwaukee Bucks went 4-0.

• Tyronn Lue Sits Clippers' Win Over Cavs With Back Pain

  Tyronn Lue missed the Los Angeles Clippers' 132-119 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night due to back pain.

  Lue missed three games earlier this month with the injury.

  Brian Shaw is now 3-1 when taking over head coaching duties from Lue this season.

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