Los Angeles Clippers forward Norman Powell is nearing a return to the court. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Clippers' Norman Powell cleared for participation in practice

Unlike the Los Angeles Lakers , the Los Angeles Clippers have clinched a spot in the upcoming NBA Play-In Tournament. Seven-time All-Star Paul George recently returned from a lengthy injury absence for the Clippers, and now the team is hoping that a fellow high-volume scorer may be coming back to the floor soon as well.

Lue later added that there's hope that Powell gets in some game action before the regular season concludes.

Lue's squad acquired Powell from the Portland Trail Blazers in early February as part of a five-player trade, but the 28-year-old went down with a foot injury one week later. In 40 contests with Portland before being moved, Powell had been leading the team in three-point field goal percentage at 40.6% and third in points per game at 18.7.

In his debut with Los Angeles, the former NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors scored 28 points on 9-for-16 shooting, including 4-for-8 from beyond the arc.

There was also a report on two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard — who has missed the entire season with a knee injury — on Tuesday, though the update didn't provide any details on a possible return for the playoffs.

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