Clippers vs. Mavericks: Kawhi Leonard mercilessly hunts Luka Doncic to close out latest playoff masterpiece

Leonard scored eight straight points late in the fourth quarter to force a Game 7

There have been moments during this see-saw first-round series between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks that have forced people to ask the question: Has Luka Doncic passed Kawhi Leonard on the list of the NBA's best players? Before this postseason the suggestion probably would have been dismissed with a Kawhi-esque chuckle, but Doncic has closed the gap considerably with the way he has played in this series. However, with a dominant performance in the Clippers' 104-97 Game 6 victory over the Mavericks on Friday, Leonard reminded all of us why he's in the conversation as the league's best player. Leonard tied a playoff career high with 45 points, 29 of which came in the second half, on 18-for-25 shooting, including 5 for 9 from 3-point range. The Clippers carried a two-point lead with just over three minutes remaining in the game, when Leonard rattled off eight straight points to keep their championship hopes alive. "He destroyed us," Doncic said of Leonard after the loss. "That's what it is. He had a hell of a game. That's what he does."