eonard didn't have an opening statement so much as a sustained one. He moved the curve by inches in the first quarter — a clean look here, a contested stop there — and let the game come to him.
The fourth quarter is where it broke open — smith jr. 18' pullup jump shot (16 pts) (sheppard 3 ast) (+6.0). From that possession on, the curve never had to be rebuilt the same way twice.
By the time he checked out for good, Leonard's line read +22.6 — earned, not held.
Key moments