DALLAS — LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard stated the irritation in his surgically repaired proper knee didn’t reply the way in which he had hoped after Sport 2, and after gutting out 25 minutes in Friday’s 101-90 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Leonard’s standing for Sunday’s Sport 4 is in query.
Leonard had 9 factors and 9 rebounds however didn’t seem like his regular self in Sport 3 at American Airways Heart. With their franchise participant restricted, the Clippers unraveled and now path 2-1 within the best-of-7 collection.
Leonard was requested if he’ll have the ability to play on Sunday afternoon with lower than 48 hours between Video games 3 and 4.
“Yeah,” Leonard stated. “Proper now, I am going to see [how it feels] tomorrow. However I wish to play.”
Leonard missed 23 days with irritation in his proper knee and sat out the ultimate eight video games of the common season and Sport 1 of this first-round collection towards Dallas.
He logged 35 minutes in his return on Tuesday, ending with 15 factors, seven rebounds and 4 steals in a 96-93 loss in Los Angeles in Sport 2.
Head coach Ty Lue stated on Thursday that Leonard had come out of Sport 2 feeling good. However Leonard acknowledged after Sport 3 that his knee “simply did not reply the way in which we wished” after his return.
“However we’re going to get it proper,” Leonard stated. “Time will inform. However we’re doing all the correct issues.”
Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, had described the irritation as “unpredictable” and “cussed.”
Leonard tore his ACL within the second spherical in 2021. He got here again after which tore his meniscus within the first spherical final postseason towards Phoenix, lacking the ultimate three video games of the five-game collection.
Frank stated Leonard’s surgically repaired ACL and meniscus within the knee have been sound structurally however that the irritation has been problematic.
On Friday evening, Leonard threw down two dunks within the second half, together with one on an alley-oop. However there have been occasions when he regarded as if he lacked his typical burst operating down the court docket. He performed simply 10 minutes within the first half and sat for the ultimate 3:01 of the second quarter.
Lue stated he didn’t assume Leonard was feeling something new together with his harm however that the group is attempting to handle it.
Leonard was requested if the irritation has returned.
“It was fairly good,” Leonard stated. “First sport did not reply the way in which we wished it to. And tonight it was both play restricted minutes or not play. And I wished to be on the ground to assist the group and that is what the outcomes are.
“Irritating that it occurred to me this late within the season, however we will preserve going. We’ll get it proper.”
With Leonard unable to play his typical minutes and Paul George mired in foul hassle, Lue needed to modify his rotations and play James Harden (21 factors, 5 assists) for 44 minutes.
George stated the group can see how onerous Leonard is attempting to struggle his approach again from his knee harm.
“All of us need the very best for him,” stated George, who was restricted to seven factors as a consequence of foul hassle. “He is battling not having the ability to be one hundred pc to be right here for us, however we acquired to cowl, choose up the slack and respect what he is given us.
“He is nonetheless attempting to go well with up and provides us no matter he can. I positively really feel for him understanding he is been working onerous and once more to get so far the place we wish to make a [playoff] push and he cannot be a one hundred pc proper now.”
