iStock/Thinkstock(SAN ANTONIO) – Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard hit a go-ahead three pointer with 30 seconds left in regulation then proceeded to block a James Harden shot on the other end of the court to secure San Antonio’s 1120-110 win over the Houston Rockets Monday night.
Leonard was late in speaking with reporters afterwards because he faced a random drug screening after the game.
The NBA tests players randomly four times a season and two times in the offseason according to ESPN. Leonard happened to be screened immediately after the Spurs’ win. ESPN reports Leonard’s media availability was delayed because he was slightly dehydrated, causing the screening to take longer than expected.
Leonard scored 39 points against the Rockets, grabbed two rebounds, and added two blocks and a steal.
“Those guys were hitting shots, big shots,” Leonard noted while discussing the final sequence. He says his mindset was to “just get back and get a stop.”
Leonard has scored at least 30 points in four straight games. According to ESPN, he is one of four Spurs ever to have produced 23 outings in one season in which he has scored 30 or more points.
Rockets forward James Harden, who is also an MVP candidate, had an excellent game of his own, matching Leonard’s point total with 39 while also handing out 12 assists.
Afterwards, Leonard said he was not thinking about the MVP award: “I don’t know how they pick or choose it… I don’t really think about how other guys play the game. I’m just playing basketball.”
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