Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Game-time call for Game 2
Rotowire
Leonard (knee) is questionable for Tuesday's Game 2 against the Mavericks, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Leonard took part in Monday's practice, and while it was reported to be a non-contact session, it appears all went well. The team will likely re-assess the star forward in the morning and see how he fares in shootaround and pregame warmups before making a decision on his availability for Game 2.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Set to practice Monday
Rotowire
Leonard (knee) will participate in the Clippers' practice session Monday, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
While it's encouraging that Leonard will practice Monday after missing Sunday's Game 1 against Dallas, the Clippers won't be doing contact during the session and will treat it more like a walkthrough, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. The team will monitor the 32-year-old ahead of Tuesday's Game 2, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Leonard labeled as a game-time decision.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Ruled out for Game 1
Rotowire
Leonard (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's Game 1 against Dallas, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.
An ominous harkening back to last year's playoffs, Leonard will miss time with a right knee injury. After tearing his meniscus in 2022-23's first-round matchup versus Phoenix, the Clippers' 1-0 series advantage quickly turned into a 1-4 gentleman's sweep at the hands of the Suns. Leonard, whose current diagnosis is right knee inflammation, will need to have his status monitored in advance of Game 2 on Tuesday.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Officially listed as questionable
Rotowire
Leonard (knee) is questionable to play Sunday against the Mavericks, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Leonard received an injection in his knee Thursday, and while there's skepticism regarding his availability for the series opener Sunday, the questionable tag suggests the star forward has a shot at playing in Game 1 after being diagnosed with right knee inflammation. However, a final decision regarding his status will be made closer to Sunday's 3:30 p.m. ET tipoff. If Leonard can't go, Paul George and James Harden would have to carry more of the offensive workload, while P.J. Tucker and Amir Coffey could be in line for extended minutes.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Increasing doubt for Game 1
Rotowire
Leonard (knee) appears to be trending in the wrong direction ahead of Sunday's Game 1 matchup with the Mavericks, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
According to Wojnarowski, there is increasing doubt in regards to Leonard's potential availability. While he has not officially been cleared, it looks like he would need a quick turnaround at this point. Should the star forward ultimately not get the green light, Paul George and James Harden would presumably carry more of an offensive burden, while P.J. Tucker and Amir Coffey could see increased minutes.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Considered questionable for Game 1
Rotowire
Leonard (knee) is questionable for Sunday's Game 1 against the Mavericks, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.
The Clippers announced Thursday that Leonard received an injection in his left knee, and there's "cautious optimism" that he'll be ready for Sunday's matchup, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. While Leonard returned to practice Monday, he hasn't yet been cleared for 5-on-5 drills. Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said Thursday that he isn't sure whether Leonard will need to participate in full-contact work before he's cleared to return to game action but added that the inflammation needs to continue to reduce. Lawrence said that he's hopeful the issue is trending in the right direction and that Leonard will play but also indicated that the 32-year-old's status remains up in the air.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Receives injection in knee
Rotowire
Leonard (knee) recently received an injection to aid in his recovery, and there is "cautious optimism" that he'll be ready for Sunday's Game 1 against Dallas, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Thursday.
Leonard was unavailable for the Clippers' final eight games of the regular season due to right knee inflammation. He returned to practice Monday but hasn't yet been cleared for 5-on-5 drills. The Clippers will likely wait to see how his knee responds to his recent treatment before determining his status for the start of postseason play Sunday, but even if he isn't cleared for Game 1, it wouldn't be surprising to see him return some time during the Clippers' first-round series.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Not cleared for 5-on-5
Rotowire
Coach Tyronn Lue said Wednesday that Leonard (knee) is progressing but hasn't been cleared for 5-on-5 drills yet, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Leonard missed the final eight regular-season games due to right knee inflammation but returned to practice Monday, albeit in a limited fashion. His official status for Sunday's Game 1 against the Mavericks won't be known until Saturday afternoon, but Lue said he's preparing as if Leonard will be available to start the postseason.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Limited in practice
Rotowire
Coach Tyronn Lue said that Leonard (knee) will be a partial participant in Tuesday's practice, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.
Leonard missed the final eight games of the regular season due to right knee inflammation. While the star forward's status for Sunday's Game 1 against the Mavericks is unclear, it appears that Leonard is gearing up toward a return.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Won't play Sunday
Rotowire
Leonard (knee) will not play Sunday against the Rockets, Joey Linn of SI.com reports.
This will be the eighth game in a row on the shelf for Leonard, and the Clippers have yet to provide any clarity on his progress. For now, Leonard's status for the opening round of the playoffs could be in jeopardy.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Remains out for Friday
Rotowire
Leonard (knee) will not play Friday against the Jazz.
Leonard will miss his seventh game in a row Friday. He'll have only one game left in the regular season to potentially return, and that is Sunday against the Rockets. For now, fantasy managers should consider Leonard as questionable for that contest.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Out again Wednesday
Rotowire
Leonard (knee) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Suns, Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com reports.
Leonard will miss a sixth straight game due to right knee inflammation. Joining him on the sideline will be Paul George (knee) and James Harden (foot), while Russell Westbrook (hand) and Ivica Zubac (ankle) are questionable. Leonard has only two more chances to suit up this season -- Friday against Utah and Sunday versus Houston.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Listed as out for Tuesday
Rotowire
Leonard (knee) won't play Tuesday against the Suns, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Leonard will miss his fifth consecutive contest while recovering from right knee inflammation. His next opportunity to take the court will arrive Wednesday against the Suns.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Won't suit up Sunday
Rotowire
Leonard (knee) won't play Sunday against the Cavaliers, Joey Linn of SI.com reports.
Leonard will miss a fourth straight game with right knee inflammation. The Clippers haven't revealed many details about Leonard's latest setback, and head coach Tyronn Lue wasn't willing to go into specifics during his last press conference. Leonard's next chance to play will come Tuesday against the Suns.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Out Thursday and Friday
Rotowire
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said Leonard (knee) will miss at least Thursday's game against the Nuggets and Friday's game against the Jazz, Justin Russo of the 'Clip & Roll' podcast reports.
Lue didn't go into any specifics, but he's also not expecting Leonard to play Sunday against the Cavaliers. The coach also didn't disclose whether or not Leonard underwent an MRI on his right knee. During Leonard's upcoming absence, the Clippers will likely turn to Norman Powell, Terance Mann and Russell Westbrook to take on larger roles.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Likely out until at least Tuesday
Rotowire
Leonard (knee), who has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Nuggets, is unlikely to play Friday against the Jazz or Sunday against the Cavaliers, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Leonard will miss a second consecutive matchup due to a sore right knee Thursday, and he'll likely be forced to miss at least two more games beyond that. Whether he'll be available for a back-to-back set against Phoenix on Tuesday and Wednesday is uncertain, but Leonard isn't expected to face a lengthy absence.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Remains out against Denver
Rotowire
Leonard (knee) won't play in Thursday's game versus the Nuggets, Joey Linn of SI.com reports.
Leonard will miss his second straight contest Thursday due to right knee soreness. Norman Powell will likely draw another start in his absence. Leonard's next chance to suit up is Friday's matchup with the Jazz.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Won't play Tuesday
Rotowire
Leonard has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Kings due to right knee soreness, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.
Youngmisuk notes that the soreness popped up during Sunday's win over the Hornets, but Leonard wasn't listed on the Clippers' initial injury report for Tuesday. The issue appears minor, and coach Tyronn Lue expressed optimism about Leonard's availability for Thursday's matchup against the Nuggets. In Leonard's absence, Norman Powell will move into the starting lineup.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Goes for 23 points Sunday
Rotowire
Leonard racked up 23 points (10-19 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds and two assists across 37 minutes during Sunday's 130-118 win over the Hornets.
Leonard took a backseat in the scoring column since both Paul George and Ivica Zubac delivered impressive performances, but the veteran forward still had a strong showing. Leonard's remarkable consistency on a game-to-game basis has been noticeable in recent weeks, as he has scored at least 20 points in all but one of his last 10 appearances while shooting 53.8 percent from the field in that span.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Goes for 29 points Friday
Rotowire
Leonard closed Friday's 100-97 victory over the Magic with 29 points (12-21 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 11 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and four steals across 38 minutes.
Leonard was decisive for the Clippers on Friday, draining a key bucket in the final seconds of the game and leading the team in scoring. It was the second consecutive game in which Leonard turned it up down the stretch, as he also did it in the 108-107 win over the 76ers on Wednesday. Leonard has scored at least 20 points in all but one of his last nine appearances.
