The Clippers had a chance to tie their game against the Mavericks late, but Kawhi Leonard couldn't get the job done.
In fact, Los Angeles' star didn't come close to netting the game-tying bucket.
With just under nine seconds left, Leonard saw the ball inbounded to him in the corner. Needing a 3-pointer to tie the game at 103, he tried to generate space between himself and Dorian Finney-Smith to get a clean shot off. He was able to launch a shot with about seven seconds left on the clock, but it didn't even catch the rim on the way down.
Kawhi airballed a chance to tie it with under 5 seconds left. pic.twitter.com/dMWpjcJXiU
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 3, 2021
Yes, Kawhi Leonard air-balled one of the most important shots he has taken so far this postseason. And it did not look like his teammate, Rajon Rondo, was happy about Leonard's shot selection.
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It's not often that a star player misses a game-tying opportunity that badly, especially when they jack up a shot with more than five seconds on the clock.
As a result, Leonard's miss and Rondo's incredulous reaction to it made the rounds on social media, with Twitter users having fun at the expense of the two losing Clippers.
Rajon Rondo after Kawhi Leonard's air ball pic.twitter.com/1z5N3Q4Fi3
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) June 3, 2021
Rondo looking at Kawhi after that shot pic.twitter.com/y3AXozobKO
— Paulos Yoseph (@yosephpaulos) June 3, 2021
Kawhi for the tie pic.twitter.com/t48ZsACVHo
— ᴊᴡ (@JWepp) June 3, 2021
Rondo looking at Luka vs Rondo looking at Kawhi pic.twitter.com/QdOJpasJkI
— youtube.com/sbscreen ➐ (@sbscreen) June 3, 2021
Kawhi Leonard tonight pic.twitter.com/BwObEiW8ft
— matt (@amattchronism) June 3, 2021
Rondo talking to Kawhi Leonard in the Clippers locker room: pic.twitter.com/DV15PiMTkd
— RDCWORLD BURNER (@rdcburner) June 3, 2021
Kawhi for the WIN pic.twitter.com/iRO4ljz6Y8
— Anthony (@OMGItsBirdman) June 3, 2021
Rondo to Kawhi after that final shot pic.twitter.com/Ghta7LmBC1
— S (@YeaiSaiditt) June 3, 2021
These Twitter jokes and memes are certainly hilarious, but it may be tough for the Clippers to find much humor in them.
After their 105-100 loss at the hands of the Mavericks, they're on the brink of elimination and have to win back-to-back games to advance. The next game is in Dallas, so Luka Doncic and Co. will be amped up to try to close them out and earn the series upset.