Kawhi Leonard started 2026 off with a bang.
The Los Angeles Clippers star had a historical night for the Clippers’ franchise by doing something just one other player has done for the Clippers in the past.
As the NBA announced, Kawhi Leonard is one of the only players in franchise history to have multiple regular-season games with 45+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ 3-pointers made. The former Clippers forward Paul George is the only other player to accomplish that feat.
Kawhi Leonard joins Paul George as the ONLY players in Clippers franchise history to record multiple regular season games with 45+ PTS, 5+ REB, and 5+ 3PM! Https://t.co/jJjqZHAVSb pic.twitter.com/ZkfSagnSRQ
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) January 2, 2026
Thursday’s game was a 39-minute showing for Leonard. He shot 16-29 from the field, making 6-16 shots from beyond the arc. From the free throw line, Leonard went 7-9. He ended the game with 45 points.
Outside of his scoring, Leonard came down with 7 rebounds, all of them occurring on the defensive end of the floor. He also had 2 blocks and 2 steals.
Leonard turned the ball over 3 times, which tied for a team-high, but he also had 3 assists on the night, trailing only James Harden, who had 7.
The Clippers kept the ball rolling with an impressive outing. A 118-107 win for Los Angeles allowed the Clippers to improve to 12-21 on the year. It was their sixth victory in a row.
This year hasn’t been easy for Kawhi and the Clippers, but they are starting to heat up after a shockingly disappointing start to the year. Leonard’s good health and dominance has helped with that.
This season, Leonard has made 23 appearances on the court. He has posted averages of 28.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.
Amid the current streak, Leonard is producing 39.0 points per game, while shooting 53 percent from the field and 44 percent from beyond the arc. He is also coming down with 8.5 rebounds during that time.