Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers had a horrible collapse in Game 6 of their second-round series against the Denver Nuggets. Despite having a 16-point lead at halftime, the Clippers gave up the lead and ended up losing. It was the second-straight game where they gave up a big lead when they could have finished off the series. Now, the series is all tied up at three games apiece, with Game 7 going down on Tuesday night. The winner will play the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
Today on First Take, Smith fully blamed the loss on Leonard, as he claimed that the reigning NBA Finals MVP was giving away costly turnovers and missing big shots when they needed to be made. Smith also criticized Leonard for not taking over in crunch time, noting that Leonard needs to be hungrier if he wants to help the Clippers win big games.
Moving forward in the series, Smith believes the Clippers will ultimately win the series, however, he acknowledged just how high the stakes are right now. As he explained, a loss would look horrible on Kawhi and Paul George's resumes, especially since both players are looking to bring their new team to the promised land.
Considering how this series has gone, Game 7 should be a whole lot of fun.