At a good and successful time, tonight (between Monday and Tuesday) Kawhi Leonard returned to the courts, and did it in style.
The Los Angeles Clippers star who suffered from countless injuries in recent years - the last of which was a sprained ankle, which caused him to miss six games - scored the winning basket in the difficult 117:119 over Charlotte.
"It felt good to be back," said the former Finals MVP, who played just six times this season.
"I love the game, I don't think anyone loves basketball more than I do. Maybe people watch more basketball, but no one loves it as much as I do. It makes me feel great happiness that I'm playing. The ending was great."
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How good to be back.
Leonard and Morris (Photo: GettyImages, Jacob Kupferman)
Leonard finished with 16 points (7 of 15 from the field) in 28 minutes.
Paul George also returned from an injury that caused him to miss several games, and led with 19 points.
"Every time you see Kawhi get into his position, that's where he's comfortable, and that's where we're comfortable," George said.
"I wanted the last ball to reach him, and he closed the deal."
So far, George and Leonard have played just five games together this season (including tonight), and the Clippers are 1-4 when that happens.
"It was huge," Tyrone Lu said of the winning basket.
"It will give him a lot of momentum. George was great. With these guys on the floor it will be very difficult for teams to double-team us and get free throws. We have to keep building on that."
Another player who returned tonight is James Harden, who stepped on the floor for the first time since he was injured on November 2, and had an emotional meeting in his comeback - against Houston, the team in which he became one of the best players in the league, and which he demanded to leave.
It ended, unfortunately with 4 of 19 from the field and an embarrassing loss for the Sixers, 132:123 after two overtimes.
"I was very scattered," admitted Harden, who finished with 21 points, 7 assists but also 7 turnovers.
"I'm not used to it, but these are just excuses. I didn't play well, I know I'll get better. I had to really fight to keep playing, because I was in pain, but as soon as the game started I just wanted to win."
Slowly.
Harden (Photo: Reuters)
And now, to one of the most unexpected success stories this season in the NBA.
Indiana, which was supposed to be one of the weakest teams in the league, defeated Golden State 104:112 and continued its wonderful start to the season.
The Pacers now have a record of 11:13, and they continue to win even without their big star Tyrese Halliburton.
the main reason?
An unknown rookie who was chosen 31st in the last draft, and his name is Andrew Nemhardt.
The guard (22, 1.91 m) who had a reasonable four-year college career at Florida and Gonzaga, was awarded a guaranteed contract from Indiana this summer - $8.6 million for four years - in what suddenly looks like one of the best contracts in the league.
A week after hitting a big 3-pointer against the Lakers, Nemhard was free to set a new career high of 31 points, this time on the head of the champion.
The talented guard also added 13 assists and 8 rebounds.
"He was amazing," concluded Rick Carlisle, who saw his team win despite missing six of its roster due to injury or illness.
"He was fantastic and dominated the game," admitted Steve Kerr.
"We couldn't stop them defensively, they dominated from the first moment to the last. We were sailing against the tide tonight."
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At times, Nemhard looks like Stephen Curry.
The one who doesn't look like Stephen Curry is Stephen Curry himself, who finished his weakest game of the season with 12 points on 3-of-17 from the field and 2-of-10 from beyond the arc.
Statistically, it was the third-worst game of his career, on nights where he throws 15 or more shots from the field.
At the end, Steph himself also referred to the viral (and edited) video, in which he is seen scoring time and time again from an entire game, and said: "I'll let people judge whether it's real. It's the ultimate compliment, when people are shocked but don't think it's improbable, and maybe it's real."
* Boston became the first team this season to reach 20 wins, with 110:116 over Toronto.
"It's a big thing, it's exactly how we wanted to start the season," said Jayson Tatum, who finished with 31 points and 12 rebounds.
The Celtics are 2:16, since they started the season with 3:4.
"We've been the best team in the league for a while, and every night we have a different challenge," said Marcus Smart.
* In a battle between two of the MVP candidates, Luka Doncic (30 points) surpassed Devin Booker (11), and just like in last year's playoffs, Dallas was once again great over Phoenix with a resounding 111:130.
In doing so, she broke a streak of ten losses to the Suns in the regular season.
"I'm very pleased," Doncic said.
* Bradley Beal will miss at least Washington's next three games due to a strained hamstring.
In about a week his condition will be evaluated again.
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Stephen Kerry
Kawhi Leonard
James Harden
Indiana Pacers
Andrew Nemhardt