LOS ANGELES — For the past month, Kawhi Leonard’s ability to dictate pace was back. His shooting has picked up. His play-making had garnered notice. The last question about his recovery from a 2021 knee injury, for league insiders, was whether or when his explosion would return.
That box was emphatically checked Friday as Leonard, after dribbling into the paint at a crouch to escape the reach of Denver’s Bones Hyland, planted his left New Balance sneaker outside the restricted area of the paint and dunked all over Nuggets center Zeke Nnaji — a moment so quick and powerful it appeared as though out of a time machine from the 2021 postseason.
Not answered Friday was the other question asked by league insiders.
