Clippers even series with Game 4 win, punctuated by Kawhi Leonard’s dunk

The dunk heard across the NBA began Monday with two dribbles and violent intentions.

Standing at the free-throw line, Utah’s Royce O’Neale crouched in front of him, Kawhi Leonard ripped the ball from the right side of his body to his left. By his first dribble, he had a step on O’Neale. By his second, he spotted 6-foot-9 Derrick Favors rushing in front of the rim to help.

Leonard elevated as if propelled by trampoline, his right wrist hanging over the rim, and Favors, before pushing the ball through with such force it appeared he was trying to end this second-round playoff series right then and there during the second quarter of Game 4.

The restricted-capacity crowd at Staples Center erupted. Favors ducked out of the way. Leonard paused a beat, staring in the center’s direction, before running up court. Across the country, Philadelphia center Joel Embiid stopped what he was saying while eyeing a television monitor and answering a question during his postgame videoconference in Atlanta.

“Oh my God,” Embiid said. “See that Kawhi dunk?”

One play rarely changes a playoff series. But it embodied the way this version of the Clippers — the one that topped Utah in a second consecutive rout, 118-104 on Monday, that evens this best-of-seven series at two games apiece — seems to have hit a different gear as it attempts to reach the unprecedented heights of its first conference final appearance.

Leonard, who exited late in the fourth quarter after appearing to injure a knee, and George each had 31 points.

George and Leonard have now scored at least 20 points in every game this postseason, joining Jerry West and Elgin Baylor (1962) as well as Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant (2003) as the only teammates in NBA history to score at least 20-plus in 11 consecutive postseason games.

Only days after arriving in Los Angeles with a 2-0 lead, Utah returns to Salt Lake City hoping starting point guard Mike Conley, who has missed each game with a hamstring strain, can return and inject scoring and variety into an offense that has been figured out by Clippers coach Tyronn Lue.

For a second consecutive game, the Donovan Mitchell-led the Jazz received precious little from anyone else. The Clippers ran a second defender at Mitchell, the guard with running-back hips and balance, but by the second quarter’s opening seconds, Utah trailed by 20. It was the rare first quarter where the Clippers held an advantage, something they had discussed for days but rarely been able to produce.

Clippers guard Terance Mann (14) celebrates with teammate Paul George after getting fouled while making a layup against the Jazz in Game 4 on Monday night at Staples Center.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Utah’s night would go from bad to worse with 1:24 left before halftime, when Leonard dunked over Favors to kickstart a nightmare end of the half for Utah.

Before halftime could arrive, mercifully, Marcus Morris made two three-pointers and Patrick Beverley blocked Mitchell’s three-point attempt to push the Clippers into halftime leading by 24.

With his twin, Lakers free agent Markieff, watching from the baseline in a blue sweatshirt and dark glasses, Marcus Morris finished with 24 points, making his first five three-pointers after entering the game just one of 16 from deep this series.