Five wins in a row. The Clippers are rolling, and it’s about time you drop the “second team of LA” tag. No Paul George? No problem. Kawhi Leonard is back in full force taking the lead. But let’s be real—James Harden is running the show. The Beard is cooking, and the results speak for themselves. A dominant 128-108 win over the Grizzlies, fresh off dismantling the Cavaliers, proves one thing—Ty Lue’s squad isn’t just playing. They’re coming for the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Sunday won’t be easy. The Clippers face the unstoppable Oklahoma City Thunder, the West’s top seed, hungry to shut them down. OKC has mastered dominance this season. They are currently on a 5W streak. But that will fall bleak when we tell you that this season, they have not lost 2 games in a row since their back-to-back losses against the Suns and the Mavs on November 17 and 19, respectively. But Kawhi Leonard? Unfazed. A two-time champ doesn’t flinch. He knows the drill—enjoy the game, give it all, and let the rest take care of itself.

The Klaw dropped 23 points as the Clippers crushed the Grizzlies, with the Intuit Dome roaring in approval. But there’s no time to celebrate. OKC is a team the Clippers haven’t beaten. The last time they met the Thunder on January 2, the LA side had to face defeat despite a dominant start. After the Clippers started their first quarter 30-26, the Thunder showed their true colors exploding for q 42-20 run in Q3, effectively snatching the game away. Leonard did not play in that game, making Sunday a must-win. The 33-year-old told the media he was ready. However, the question is, can the Clippers finally take down Shai and the Thunder?

Sharing his thoughts, Kawhi Leonard said: “I always say, I’ll enjoy tonight and we’ll figure it out tomorrow. But it’s like any other game. Even if we’re playing a bottom-seed team, I think we pretty much need all the wins right now that we could get. It just gives an opportunity to see how the best of the league is playing and try to either use it as a practice or whatever for us to move forward.”

For Kawhi, it’s about staying in the moment, giving his all, and letting the bigger picture fall into place. But at the same time, Leonard has seen it all—glory, setbacks, injuries, and epic comebacks. His journey is a blueprint for the next generation. Even the reporters in the locker room couldn’t ignore it. Therefore, they wanted to know—does his experience help him guide young players navigating life around stars?

“Oh yeah, for sure. Wanted to do more at times, being young and not knowing how my career was going to go,” Kawhi Leonard responded. “You know, that’s what you think about, just because you want to stick or stay in the league. It’s not always about scoring, or getting the most shots in the game. So I try to give whoever it is a piece of mind about what I’ve been through and how long it took me to get here. I’ll help him with that.”

Leonard has played 27 games so far in the 2024-25 NBA season, he continues to take a sufficient amount of breaks to deal with his knee inflammation troubles. However, averaging 19.7 pts, 5.4 rebs, and 3.0 asts, with an impressive 48.4 FG%, the Klaw is proving that the game isn’t over for him like many had speculated at the beginning of the season, and he will definitely look to replicate that against the Thunder. Meanwhile, it looks like that an exciting matchup is probably on the way. Look at this.

The Thunder have dropped 124.4 PPG in their last 10 games- their best run so far. This is as impressive as the fact that they have also limited the teams to 110 PPG, succinctly showing why they are sitting at the top in the West. But the Clippers have also exploded lately. They are on a 119 PPG run in 6 consecutive games while also stopping the opponents to 104 or less in four of those. Indeed, the clash could not have come at a better time. Meanwhile, James Harden, the charioteer of the LA Clippers declared his role on the team as they roll deeper into the regular season taking a shot at the playoffs.

James Harden seals his responsibilities for the Clippers

Many blamed The Beard for PG’s move to Philly, leaving the veteran point guard to prove himself and carry the Clippers in crucial moments. Has Harden succeeded in doing so? Absolutely. He’s averaging 22.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 8.7 assists this season. And on Friday, he chipped in 30 points vs. the Grizzlies at Intuit Dome.

James Harden‘s ability to toggle back and forth being a facilitator or a playmaker, and scoring at the same time makes him an efficient piece for the team. Now the question is has he been intentionally scoring more while still facilitating at a high level?

“A little bit more aggressive. Yeah, just being a little bit more aggressive. You being aggressive is going to determine whether to score or be a facilitator,” James confessed. Harden is setting his duties straight: stay aggressive, and the game will decide. Attack first, and the choice becomes clear. Score or facilitate? It all starts with a mindset.

Thus, the LA Clippers have locked in. Kawhi Leonard is leading with poise, James Harden is fueling the fire, and the squad is finding its rhythm. Every win matters, every lesson counts. With OKC looming, the challenge is real, but so is their hunger. Moreover, the road to the playoffs isn’t easy, but this team isn’t backing down.