A familiar roar filled Crypto.com Arena as Kawhi Leonard was introduced into the starting lineup for the Clippers on Monday night. This was the sound of everyone’s relief to see Leonard again after he missed four games in a row due to a left hip contusion.

Less than two quarters later, after scoring off an offensive rebound while being fouled, Leonard fell to the court and made a hard landing on that same hip. This was followed by a moment of discomfort that was familiar to anyone who had watched Leonard come and go from the starting lineup due to injuries.

Nevertheless, in contrast to his aggravated injury in Dallas on December 20, Leonard recovered quickly this time, made his free throw, and resumed turning around his team’s fortune in his first game back.

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Clippers defeat the Hornets by relying on their defense to end a losing streak

With 13 points from Leonard in the second quarter, the Clippers overcame a 14-point deficit to lead by one at the half. They would never let up that lead in a 121-104 victory over Miami to improve their record to 20-12.

Leonard finished with 24 points, hitting 10 of his 19 shots, and dishing out five assists, four steals, and six rebounds. He only turned the ball over twice in 34 minutes.

Paul George, Leonard’s teammate, described Leonard as someone who “does all the little intangible stuff.” “It is just very dependable.”

Don’t look now, but the Clippers are as well. They have won 12 of their last 14 games and are 17-5 since switching up their starting lineup on November 17. Some Clippers comebacks are dramatic, right down to the wire; this one was quick and methodical. They had a 22-point lead over Miami.

George said, “It’s going to take some time to get Kawhi back,” just three days prior. As Leonard missed both of his shots in the first quarter, it really only took a few more days for him to get back into the starting lineup. It also took him the first quarter to establish a rhythm. The Clippers’ entire offensive flow was hampered by having to face Miami’s zone, which is used by the Heat more than any other team. They lost ground quickly and turned the ball over seven times.

However, the Clippers only committed ten more turnovers in the last three quarters, and in the second, Leonard looked like the superstar who averaged 29.3 points in nine straight Clippers victories before getting hurt in December, making 61% of his shots, including 50% of his three-pointers. At one point, Leonard made five straight shots, including a foul shot, offensive rebound, and basket off a miss by James Harden that knocked him down and quickly got back up.

After the game, Leonard did not speak with reporters, but there were times when it appeared as though he was returning from a 10-day absence. In the third quarter, Leonard’s go-to midrange jumper seemed abnormally short, and Jaime Jaquez Jr., a former UCLA standout, stole the ball from him in order to dunk it.

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According to Russell Westbrook, he can be “anything on the floor,” even an all-NBA defender.

However, with the Clippers leading by ten points in the fourth quarter, he blew past Bam Adebayo for a baseline reverse dunk and then ripped a steal from Kevin Love on the following possession. And with 8:40 remaining, he dribbled into a transition three-pointer after Adebayo mishandled the ball, giving the team a 106-90 lead. He celebrated the bucket by leaping up and down before the next huddle.

“You see him, you see the performance: Just elite, on both ends of the ball,” Harden, who finished with 15 points and 10 assists, said. “Making shots, playing defense, simply being engaged, and opening doors when things change.” We missed him and needed that to heal and get better.

Norman Powell had 22 points off the bench and made nine of his 11 shots, while George scored 23 points. Powell has maintained his stellar start to the season by shooting 56% with just seven turnovers in his last nine games.

With a lead of up to 22 points, the Clippers shot 58% and made 14 of their 29 three-point attempts.

Jimmy Butler was not present for the Heat (19-14). Jaquez scored 15 points and was well-received during the pregame introductions.

In the NBA’s all-time scoring list, Russell Westbrook moved up to 25th place with eight points from the bench, surpassing Patrick Ewing.

Along with Leonard’s comeback, backup center Mason Plumlee made his debut after spraining his knee ligament on November 6. Theis, a center that the team signed in November to replace the injured Plumlee, stated last week that he had not yet received word from coaches regarding how they intended to use Plumlee and himself when both were healthy. Coach Tyronn Lue wants Plumlee to play in more of the team’s reserve scrimmages against coaches while he adjusts to wearing a knee brace and strengthens his conditioning, so a decision is not likely to happen soon.

“He is available, but we still want to make sure that we’re taking the right approach and gradually reintroducing him,” Lue stated.

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This article first published in the Los Angeles Times.