Kawhi Leonard has already been ruled out of Game 4 of the Western Conference quarterfinals, but the Los Angeles Clippers star’s status for Game 5 or beyond does not sound particularly promising either.
In an appearance on NBATV Saturday, Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report said the Clippers are still treating Leonard as day-to-day. However, there is real concern about his sprained knee, and the team has no actual timetable for his potential return.
“The Clippers are still ruling him day-to-day with a right knee sprain,” Haynes said. “What we know is that this injury is not connected to the ACL tear that he suffered two years ago, but it is the same knee, so that is worrisome. There is no timetable as of right now. They don’t know when Kawhi is going to return. They’re still putting out hope that he could at some point, but it’s not looking good.”
Leonard was ruled out of Saturday’s Game 4 a full day early, which is usually not a great sign. It sounds like there is some real doubt about whether he can even get back in action during the series against the Phoenix Suns.
In Thursday's Game 3, guard Norman Powell stepped up to score a team-high 42 points. But it wasn't enough, as L.A. lost, 129-124. Powell averaged 17 points per game during the regular season.
Leonard scored 38 and 31 points in Games 1 and 2, respectively. The Clippers are already trailing Phoenix, 2-1. They are at a major disadvantage in that scenario, and that becomes even more true with Paul George also sidelined for the foreseeable future.
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