Finally, Leonard reached his limit.

In the Los Angeles derby, Leonard leaving the game at 5:10 in the fourth quarter became the pivotal moment.

Today, the Lakers' trio finally appeared on the court together, delivering a classic three-core game where Doncic and Reeves handled scoring duties and James managed the playmaking. The Lakers started the game with outstanding offensive performance, Reeves and James both making 3 of 3 shots for 7 points early on, then Doncic took control with 17 points in the quarter.

The Clippers' defense was not bad; it was just that the Lakers' offense was very smooth. Despite trading Harden and Garland being out, the Clippers have maintained decent form recently, mainly due to their solid defense and Leonard's exceptional strength.

In the second quarter, Leonard responded with a 19-point burst despite constantly being double-teamed by the Lakers. He powered through the paint for a 2+1, followed by three-point shots, always managing to finish his plays before the defense could fully collapse. Such performances have become routine for him this season — at the All-Star game, he scored 31 points in 12 minutes, so a 19-point quarter seems almost ordinary in comparison.

The Clippers trailed by as much as 16 points but overtook the lead near the end of the third quarter, triggering the familiar Lakers' triple-collapse. However, with Doncic, Reeves, and James all on the floor, the Lakers had a higher margin for error and traded blows with the Clippers back and forth in the fourth quarter.

Then Leonard left the game. He spoke briefly with Tyronn Lue on the sidelines; it seemed Leonard wanted to keep playing, but Lue insisted he sit out. Later, the Clippers announced Leonard was out due to soreness in his left ankle.

Before this game, Collins was already out, and with Leonard's exit, the Clippers' offense had to rely on new addition Matherlin, who also fouled out with six fouls. The Clippers were left with no offensive players available, yet they still fought the Lakers to the very end. After a Lakers turnover, Batum missed a game-tying three-pointer.

Before leaving the court, Leonard played 31 minutes, shooting 11 for 19, 4 for 6 from three, and 5 for 5 from the free-throw line, totaling 31 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists, with 5 turnovers. After the game, Tyronn Lue said, “Leonard has been suffering from soreness in his left ankle; his ankle was stiff, so we took him out.”

This is actually good news, as Leonard's withdrawal is more about protecting him rather than a serious injury. After giving his all in the All-Star game and playing back-to-back games under heavy load, he definitely needed rest.

This season, his average playing time of 32 minutes per game isn't too high, but his intensity during that time is enormous. When Harden was on the team, Leonard was often double-teamed; now that Harden is gone, it's become even more frequent. The team's current situation requires Leonard to maintain a very high offensive level to lead them to wins.

The Clippers' February schedule has been brutal, with only the Kings as an easier opponent; all others are playoff-level teams. Achieving a 5-4 record so far in February is already impressive. Leonard's current average of 27.8 points per game is a career high, up 6.3 points from last season, which is rare for a player of his caliber. His 19.7 shots per game are also the second highest of his career, only behind the 2019-20 season.

What’s even more admirable is that Leonard is playing so hard despite knowing this season’s championship hopes are gone. When asked in an interview what the Clippers need to do to contend for a title, he said, “It’s a gradual process. I think it’s over now. There’s a quarter of the season left, but every day is an opportunity to grow.”

The Clippers have clearly entered a rebuilding phase, but Leonard continues to give his best in every game and makes the most of every minute on the court. He is a very genuine person. Paul said, “He’s a really good guy who loves basketball and spends all day in the gym.”

Many criticize him for not playing enough, but for a player who has suffered so many major injuries in his career, you can never know how much effort he has put in to return to the court and regain his pre-injury form.

Some things are beyond Leonard’s control. But he can offer his resilience and persistence to repay the fans. The team has chosen a new direction, but Leonard keeps moving forward with determination.