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Before the Spurs took a 24 point halftime lead against the Cavs, Kawhi Leonard showed off his defensive chops while guarding LeBron James in transition:
#Kawhi with a gorgeous block of LeBron in transition. (Pretty annoying that TNT hasn't shown a single replay.) pic.twitter.com/csBA6kijw4
— J.R. Wilco (@jollyrogerwilco) March 28, 2017
Kawhi keeps his arms spread out to cover maximum ground as he retreats. LeBron drives middle with his left hand, but Manu Ginobili is right there to help. James is forced to spin baseline and Leonard is all over the play, blocking the layup attempt. Manu nearly gets a hand on the ball as well.
Here’s another look:
Here's the replay of #Kawhi's block of LeBron I was hoping for. pic.twitter.com/fLiBrNRtwR
— J.R. Wilco (@jollyrogerwilco) March 28, 2017
Notice that as James is in the air he extends his left arm and appears to make contact with Leonard’s face, effectively pushing him off, and Kawhi still gets a piece.