Kawhi Leonard returns as new look Clippers dominate Hawks

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- The energy just felt different. The Intuit Dome sounded different. The Clippers played differently as well. In a blowout of the Hawks (who were coming off of a back-to-back), the Clippers won 131-105 on Saturday night. 

The biggest story: Kawhi Leonard made his season and Intuit Dome debut, scoring 12 points in 19 minutes with an outstanding +22. 

What he did for the Clippers outside of his stat sheet is what really stood out. The amount of spacing and attention that he brought from the defense allowed 8 Clippers to score in double figures. 

That mark is the most players the Clippers have had in double figures since April of 2024. 

Many thought that the surrounding players would take a step back from their career years, but that was not the case. 

Ivica Zubac had 18 points and 18 rebounds, Norm Powell had 20 points, Amir Coffey had 17 points and James Harden finished with 15 assists. 

Terance Mann looked like the player we are accustomed to seeing in his return to the lineup from a fractured hand as well. Mann scored 12 points in 16 minutes and was fantastic slotting into the second unit. 

Speaking of the second unit, Derrick Jones Jr. was pushed to that lineup with Kawhi’s return, and he was sensational. Jones Jr. scored 12 points and had 3 steals with a plethora of jaw-dropping lobs in his 22 minutes. 

Intuit Dome had a certain buzz to it, and with the Clippers now sitting at 20-15, with the return of their best player, who looked spry and healthy in his limited minutes, there could be a run in the near future. 

Is it too early to make these kinds of assumptions? Absolutely. Can Kawhi recover properly? How will he feel after multiple games? 

These are the questions that will be asked after every game, but when the Clippers can outscore the opponent 46-14 in fast break points, 74-40 in points in the paint, and score 32 points off turnovers as they did on Saturday, they can be scary.

Now the Clippers will embark on a two game road trip, beginning in Minnesota. Tipoff against the Timberwolves will be at 5:00 PM PST on Monday.