LA must win within fine margins to make the playoffs

NEW ORLEANS — Kawhi Leonard’s layup in the final seconds of the Pelicans’ win over the Clippers Saturday night completed his second 40-point game this season as he surpassed 41 minutes of playing time. Such marks are generally meaningless statistics, but both represent items of much greater importance. Leonard’s 41:24 Saturday sample size came after his first game on zero days rest in nearly two years. But even this occurrence of Leonard completing a back-to-back came with a compromise, as Leonard did not play after halftime of Friday night’s 108-94 road loss against the Memphis Grizzlies, during which the Clippers’…