DALLAS – The LA Clippers dominated out star ahead Kawhi Leonard for Sport 4 of their first-round collection towards the Dallas Mavericks as a consequence of proper knee irritation.
LA held off a livid Mavericks’ rally within the remaining minutes, successful 116-111 to even the collection at 2-2. The groups play Sport 5 on Wednesday (10 ET, TNT).
Clippers group president Lawrence Frank introduced the information Sunday roughly two hours earlier than tipoff and declined to offer a timeline for Leonard’s potential return. The 32-year outdated had been coping with irritation in his surgically repaired proper knee.
“It was clear that he was not himself in Sport 3,” Frank stated.
Leonard sat out of the collection opener, earlier than returning for Sport 2 to play 35 minutes within the Clippers’ 96-93 loss to the Mavericks. The 2-time Finals MVP missed LA’s final eight common season video games and Sport 1 of the postseason in an try to quell the swelling.
Leonard performed 25 minutes within the Clippers’ Sport 3 loss, scoring 9 factors with 9 rebounds. But it surely was clear the six-time All-Star hadn’t fairly returned to the shape that allowed him to play probably the most regular-season video games in his profession since 2016-17.
“It’s positively devastating for Kawhi; all of the work he’s put on this yr, the quantity of video games he’s performed,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue stated. “[He] labored onerous to get thus far, to a spot he desires to be within the playoffs. Then, to be harm and never be capable of be 100% and play the way in which he’s able to taking part in could be very irritating for him. I really feel unhealthy for him.”
Leonard suffered a torn ACL within the second spherical of the 2021 playoffs and sat out the whole 2021-22 marketing campaign rehabbing earlier than returning for the 2022-23 season. Leonard ended up tearing his meniscus within the first spherical of the playoffs final yr towards Phoenix. The harm pressured him out of the ultimate three video games of that collection.
“We’ve performed with out Kawhi earlier than,” Lue stated. “So, we are able to’t dangle our heads. We perceive what it takes, what we now have to do, how we have to play, the blueprint. I simply thank Kawhi for attempting to get on the market and attempting to do what he can. This group is ready whether or not Kawhi performs or [doesn’t] play. We’re up for the problem.”
Amir Coffey began in Leonard’s place for Sport 4, ending with 4 factors and three rebounds in 24 minutes.
“Now we have confidence we are able to win the collection,” Lue stated. “We’ve ready for each conditions, [for] if Kawhi’s on the ground or if he’s not on the ground. I do know we’ve acquired lots of people doubting the state of affairs. However we be ok with what we’ve executed. We’re ready.”
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Michael C. Wright is a senior author for NBA.com. You’ll be able to e-mail him right here, discover his archive right here and observe him on X.
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