Kofi Inkoom
Los Angeles Clippers’ star, Kawhi Leonard, will be sitting out Sunday’s playoff Game 1 against the Dallas Mavericks, as confirmed by head coach Tyronn Lue just before the game.
Leonard has been struggling with knee inflammation, and his availability was uncertain before being ruled out.
Ty Lue told reporters, “Kawhi Leonard is progressing and has been practicing on the court for the past few days.”
However, Leonard hasn’t engaged in any contact drills and will be under observation on a day-to-day basis.
Since March 31, Leonard has been sidelined due to this injury, missing the Clippers’ last eight regular-season games.
Despite President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank expressing optimism on Thursday about his potential return for todays’ game, the swelling in Leonard’s knee needs to decrease further for him to perform basketball-related movements effectively.
The Clippers remain uncertain about Leonard’s availability for Game 2, given the short turnaround
Coach Lue added, “We don’t know yet [ Kawhi’s availability for game 2 ] . He’s progressing, he’s been on the floor the last couple days, and we’re taking it day by day.”
The Clippers, boasting a 51-31 record and securing the Western Conference’s fourth seed, will tip-off the series by hosting the Mavericks, who are at 50-32, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles for the initial two matchups before transitioning to Dallas.
This marks the third occasion these teams have faced each other in the playoffs’ first round since Kawhi Leonard joined the Clippers as a free agent in 2020, with the Clippers winning in both 2020 and 2021.
Additionally, Mavericks’ head coach Jason Kidd has confirmed that swingman Tim Hardaway Jr., who was initially listed questionable due to an illness, will be participating after getting clearance.