Kawhi hits 2nd career buzzer-beater: 'Trust your work'

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard struggled with his shot throughout Sunday's game versus the Sacramento Kings but kept his confidence to hit the second buzzer-beater of his career.

"Just be patient. Even with 5 seconds on the clock or 3 seconds, you still got a lot of time to get a shot off," Leonard said following the 111-110 overtime victory at home, per ESPN. "Just trust your work."

Leonard's lefty floater to win the contest was his only shot attempt in the extra frame. The six-time All-Star didn't have his best performance, missing 12 of 18 shots in regulation.

But despite the off night, Leonard said postgame that he was "itching to get back in" the contest after he briefly sat in overtime.

Leonard scored his first career buzzer-beater in 2019 as a member of the Raptors. His last-second shot took down the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of the second round en route to Toronto winning the NBA title.

"Players make big-time plays, and he's done it throughout his entire career," Clippers guard James Harden said. "For him to step up and hit a game-winner like (Sunday), it shows the confidence in the type of player he is."

Leonard has struggled with injuries since joining the Clippers in 2019 and missed the first 36 games of this campaign while recovering from a right knee injury. The 33-year-old made his season debut in early January but remains on a minutes restriction.

Hitting a game-winning shot doesn't change the two-time Finals MVP's long-term aspirations.

"It's one game," Leonard said. "My goal is to be healthy at the end of this season so I can have a good summer and not worry about doing a whole rehab process again or missing a training camp."

Leonard finished the contest with 17 points, four rebounds, and two assists in 40 minutes of action. The victory pushed the Clippers to 35-29 on the season, good for eighth in the West.

"We need these wins down the stretch," Leonard said. "I think this will help us be a better team moving forward. Everybody was excited and knew we needed it."