Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook Credited by Fans for Clippers’ Win over Durant, Suns

Sunday’s Game 1 between the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers was a battle of two Western Conference titans, but in the end, the Clippers stood tall thanks to a strong performance from star forward Kawhi Leonard.

The two-time NBA Finals MVP showed why he’s at his best in the postseason by dropping 38 points to lead Los Angeles to a 115-110 win in front of Phoenix fans at Footprint Center.

While the Suns put up a fight behind star forward Kevin Durant, Leonard helped close things out by scoring 13 of his points in the fourth quarter. He was the only Clippers player to score over 20 points, which helped the team overcome a subpar offensive showing from Russell Westbrook, who finished with nine points on 3-of-19 shooting.

Durant led the Suns with 27 points and 11 assists, while Devin Booker added 26 points and Torrey Craig notched 22.

Leonard spearheading the hard-fought road win earned him the adulation of NBA Twitter on Sunday:

While Westbrook struggled offensively, he also contributed 10 rebounds, eight assists, three blocks and two steals. He was locked in on the defensive end and made some key plays down the stretch, with five of his rebounds coming off the offensive glass. His performance earned some love from NBA Twitter as well:

The Clippers should feel elated for stealing Game 1 on the road when one of their stars has a lackluster shooting night. Westbrook showed why he’s still a valuable player on a contending team, and Leonard showed he’s still one of the most dangerous players in the postseason.

Los Angeles will look to take a 2-0 lead when the two teams meet again on Tuesday in Phoenix.