Clippers coach Rivers raves about ice-cool Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard eased the Clippers to a Game 3 win after scoring 36 points against the Mavs, earning the acclaim of his proud coach.
Doc Rivers praised the composure of Kawhi Leonard after the Los Angeles Clippers star guided his team into a 2-1 series lead over the Dallas Mavericks.
Leonard shone in a 130-122 victory for the Clippers in Game 3 as they edged ahead in the Western Conference first-round battle.
His performance yielded 36 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and coach Rivers stressed it was the clear mind of the two-time NBA Finals MVP that proved telling.
"He's just smart," Rivers said. "He kind of sees the game, it's amazing.
"That was a fast-paced game, but for Kawhi … he can see the game. Even though it's fast and he goes fast, he's never in a rush and he knows where to go.
"I thought his playmaking was incredible.
"Obviously his scoring, his defence, but I thought his playmaking set the tone for everybody else."
Less effective was Paul George, the Clippers guard who shot just 3-for-16 and admitted he is susceptible to such off-nights.
George said, quoted by ESPN: "I'm no James Harden. That's not my knack ... to just shoot the ball, score the ball. I can and I pride myself on being effective on both ends.
"But there's going to be nights like this where I just can't make a shot, and I can't allow that to affect my game."
It was a second straight game where George has struggled to put points on the board, but Rivers said: "I'm not worried about it.
"He's a great player. He's human. I can guarantee you this, he has not forgotten how to shoot. It will fall for him."