As glad as coach Tyronn Lue was to see Kawhi Leonard and Paul George back in the Clippers’ lineup Friday in Orlando, Fla., their return answered only one of the questions looming over the team.
The Clippers had been rolling on a seven-game winning streak before they entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols Monday. With his team’s top two scorers back after a two-game absence, Lue’s focus turned to how quickly the entire roster could “get our thing back building again as a team,” he said before tipoff.
How about six minutes?
George made his first shot, a pull-up from 16 feet, followed by Leonard’s three-pointer from the corner over the outstretched hand of 6-foot-10 Magic forward Aaron Gordon one possession later to spark a 14-0 run that produced a 15-point lead midway through the opening quarter.