After the Los Angeles Clippers climbed back to a .500 record with a win over the New York Knicks on Monday, Kawhi Leonard emphasized that the team's job is far from finished, saying, "It's nothing to be happy about."
After a disastrous start to the season, the Los Angeles Clippers have managed to pull themselves back into the playoff conversation.
Back in mid-December, Los Angeles sat near the bottom of the league standings with a bleak 6-21 record. But things have changed dramatically since then.
On Monday, the LA Clippers continued their turnaround with a 126-118 victory over the New York Knicks, officially bringing their record back to an even mark.
It's the first time the team has reached .500 since Nov. 3, when they stood at 3-3 after their first six games of the season. With the latest win, the Clippers improved to 32-32 and currently hold the eighth spot in the Western Conference standings.
Despite the impressive comeback, team leader Kawhi Leonard made it clear that the job is far from finished.
"I just talked about it with a few players. Today, when I heard we were .500, I said, the job is not done," Leonard said after the latest win. "We still got games to play. So, it's nothing to be happy about."
He doubled down on that mindset.
"The job ain't done. The season's not over," Leonard added. "I mean, it's what's expected. Like I told the fellows, we don't train to lose, we train to win."
The Clippers' turnaround has been even more surprising considering the roster changes they faced at the trade deadline. The departures of James Harden and Ivica Zubac created uncertainty about the team's ability to stay competitive.
Still, Los Angeles has continued to fight, led by Leonard, who is averaging a career-high 27.9 points per game this season.
With 18 games remaining in the regular season, the Clippers will try to keep their momentum going when they face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.
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