Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard hits flurry of milestones with epic 55-point eruption

Kawhi Leonard achieved incredible NBA history following his offensive explosion in the Los Angeles Clippers’ matchup against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night.

Leonard is going through the 15th season of his NBA career, his seventh with the Clippers. Los Angeles went through a brutal start to the 2025-26 season, needing Leonard and co-star James Harden to right the ship. Their contest against Detroit, who stand out as one of the best teams in the league, was crucial for the team to get a win.

Throughout 39 minutes of action, Leonard torched the Pistons with his remarkable efficiency. He finished with a stat line of 55 points, 11 rebounds, five steals, three blocks, and two assists. He shot 17-of-26 from the field, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc, and 16-of-17 from the free-throw line.

Leonard made unique league history with his performance. His display marked the only time this happened since steals started as an official stat. He is also the only player to have these numbers in the play-by-play era, and he joins Harden as the only players to have a stat line of 55 points, 10 rebounds and five steals in the last 50 years.

STATS FROM KAWHI’S CAREER NIGHT

The ONLY 55-PT, 5-STL, 3-BLK game since STL was first recorded (1973-74)
The ONLY player with 50+ PTS and 5+ STL in 3 quarters in the PxP era (1997-98)
Joins James Harden with the ONLY 55-PT, 10-REB, 5-STL games in 50 years

https://t.co/K1G8tdWbj0 pic.twitter.com/lyEZZXIz1n

— NBA (@NBA) December 29, 2025

How Kawhi Leonard, Clippers played against Pistons

Kawhi Leonard dominated when the Clippers needed him to, getting an important 112-99 win over the Pistons.

Los Angeles got off to a strong start, taking a 33-20 lead after the first quarter. The Clippers continued to grow their lead in the second and third periods, and when they Pistons tried to rally back in the fourth, it was too late for them to get back into the game.

Three players scored in double-digits for Los Angeles in the win, including Leonard. James Harden assisted with a solid performance of 28 points, seven assists and four rebounds. He shot 7-of-23 overall, including 3-of-9 from downtown, and 11-of-11 from the charity stripe. Nicolas Batum came next with 12 points and four rebounds, while Brook Lopez provided seven points and seven rebounds.

Los Angeles improved to a 10-21 record on the season, holding the 13th spot in the Western Conference standings. They are 2.5 games above the Sacramento Kings and three games above the New Orleans Pelicans while trailing the Dallas Mavericks by one game and Utah Jazz by two games.

Rolling with four consecutive wins, the Clippers will look forward to their next matchup. They remain at home when they host the Kings on Dec. 30 at 11 p.m. ET.

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