Tonight, God is playing basketball wearing Leonard's jersey.

If you haven't witnessed God in action, just look at Leonard today. He came back to his prime, surpassing it, with a scoring display unlike anything he's done before in his entire career.

In the first quarter, he scored 10 points on 3 of 4 shots, continuing his recent excellent form. In the second quarter, he went all out, hitting 5 of 8 shots for 15 points. When Leonard starts doing consecutive between-the-legs dribbles followed by quick mid-range jumpers, you know he’s fully in the zone.

With 25 points at halftime, Leonard truly earned the nickname "War God Kawhi." The next quarter might have been the strongest quarter of his career.

Thanks to the Pistons’ persistent comeback efforts, the game remained suspenseful. Leonard controlled the roughly 20-point lead with every mid- to long-range shot. The Pistons would score one, and Leonard would answer right back the next possession. Whether it was a three-pointer or a mid-range jumper, no matter who was guarding him, Leonard dominated all the Pistons defenders—unstoppable like a god.

He’s that unstoppable jump shot after a quick dribble move, impossible to defend. The only way to stop Leonard in this form is to block his shot. Even if he’s fouled and sent to the free-throw line, he always calmly sinks both shots.

Before today, Leonard had made 52 consecutive free throws. Adding this game, where he went 12 for 12 from the line, he extended the streak to 64, setting a Clippers franchise record. He’s also the most accurate free-throw shooter this season, approaching a historic record.

Throughout the entire third quarter, Leonard shot 9 of 12, hit 3 of 5 three-pointers, and made 12 of 13 free throws, scoring an incredible 26 points and grabbing 5 rebounds in the quarter alone. Coach Tyronn Lue showed respect by letting Leonard play the entire second and third quarters while in this explosive form. Lue’s coaching rule number one: if someone is that dominant, don’t bench him.

When the Clippers had scored 81 points, Leonard was 14 of 18 for 40 points; by the end of the third quarter with 92 points for the team, Leonard was 17 of 24 for 51 points, while the entire Pistons team had only 69 points. The Pistons played well in the second half, but Leonard single-handedly subdued them.

Before today, Leonard’s career scoring record was "only" 45 points, which is relatively low among superstars. This is partly due to his inconsistent attendance and partly because when Leonard is in great form, games often end early with no suspense.

Against the Pistons today, the suspense ended early as well, but Leonard set a new career high in less than three quarters. Finishing with 51 points after three quarters plus four free throws in the final period, he shot 17 of 26 overall, including 5 of 10 from three, and 16 of 17 from the line, totaling 55 points and 11 rebounds, along with 5 steals and 3 blocks—dominant on both ends. This is the first time in NBA history someone has posted such stats.

The 55 points raised Leonard’s career high by 10 points and tied him with Harden for the Clippers’ franchise scoring record. Both of their 55-point games happened this season; Harden’s came during the Clippers’ toughest times when Leonard was injured and the team relied on him alone, while Leonard’s 55 points sounded the rallying call for the Clippers’ northern campaign.

With today’s win over the Pistons, the Clippers have secured a four-game winning streak. The team and coach remain the same, but the main reason is Leonard’s incredible recent form. During this streak, Leonard has averaged 39 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. The Player of the Week award for tomorrow is almost guaranteed.

I honestly didn’t expect Leonard’s career high to come at this point, at 34 years and 183 days old. I still feel some regret. In the 2017 playoffs, Leonard shone brilliantly but was taken down by a dirty foul. Since then, although he had a peak season in 2019, he had to conserve energy more. The Raptors in 2018-19 tried to keep him fresh in the regular season to unleash the unstoppable "War God" version in the playoffs.

Without that dirty foul, Leonard’s career would have been even more brilliant. He might still be in the Spurs’ system, avoiding many later hardships, and his knees wouldn’t be so battered as they are now.

A torn ACL followed by a torn meniscus, both in the same right knee, and yet Leonard scored 55 points today. Unlike Rose’s 50-point night, which was tinged with sadness, this is more a lament for how even the strongest deserve to be stronger.

Injuries have limited Leonard’s climb to even greater heights, but he is still on the path, and it’s not yet time to write his final chapter.