Kawhi Leonard has gone on a tear lately for the Los Angeles Clippers.
On Thursday night, the Clippers and the Utah Jazz met in California for one of the first NBA games of 2026.
Leonard and the Clippers have been working on turning their season around after a disappointing start, and lately, they’ve become one of the hottest teams in the NBA. The Clippers kept rolling on Thursday.
NBA Fans React to Kawhi Leonard vs. Utah Jazz
KAWHI LEONARD TONIGHT:
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 2, 2026
45 POINTS
7 REBOUNDS
3 ASSISTS
2 STEALS
2 BLOCKS
16/29 FGM
39 MINUTES pic.twitter.com/7vat9awiiw
Leonard dropped 45 points on Thursday night. He also added seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks in 39 minutes of action.
@goatklaw2: On a damn tear
@clippersfool: wet ball
@ageddestiny: Vintage Kawhi. No noise, just buckets.
@d_priede: Kawhi saw Shai getting back to back MVPs and said not on my watch
@Uzi_304: The way he quite literally dismantled the whole Jazz team by HIMSELF in the 4th. He’s a complete anomaly when healthy, nobody like him.
@PauluzRFRM: this is insane bro
@justerinteen: If clippers were like 4 seed he be in mvp conversations
Where Do the Clippers Stand?
Kawhi vs Jazz:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 2, 2026
45 PTS
7 REB
2 STL
2 BLK
6 3P
Averaging 40 PPG over the last five games. Pic.twitter.com/YozalYlghC
Thursday’s game marked the sixth win in a row for the Clippers, which marks the best winning streak between both conferences.
With a 12-21 record, the Clippers are 11th in the Western Conference. They trail the Portland Trail Blazers by 1.5 games. In the West, the Minnesota Timberwolves take up the final guaranteed playoff seed with a 21-13 record currently.
Since the Clippers have fired up their winning streak, Leonard has been dominant. In the five games leading up to Thursday’s action, he has averaged 37.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists.
The Clippers are going to play the Boston Celtics on Saturday to close out this week’s slate. They’ll be searching for their seventh win in a row.