Kawhi Leonard injury update: How serious is it? Will he be back for Game 4 against the Suns?
Following his last minute omission from Game 3, reports now confirm that the Clippers star won’t feature in Game 4 either, making a bad situation worse.
Kawhi Leonard won’t play in Game 4
In a surprise last minute move, the Clippers pulled Kawhi Leonard from their lineup just before Game 3 against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday due to a knee strain. It was announced that Leonard had initially suffered a knee injury in Game 1 and had played through it in Game 2. In speaking to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Clippers said that Leonard’s situation is “day-to-day” leaving a question mark over whether or not he would be available for Game 4. Sadly, both the team and Leonard’s fears have now been realized, with reports confirming that he’s officially been ruled out of Game 4.
Clippers coach Ty Lue said on Thursday, “It’s very deflating. I think more so for Kawhi, because you have a guy who’s coming off ACL, hasn’t missed a rehab session, eats right, eats clean, does everything he can for his body, works extremely hard to get to this point. Then you have something like this happen. So it’s tough for him, for all the work that he puts in. I feel bad for him.”
What exactly is the problem with Kawhi Leonard?
Despite much speculation in the media and amongst fans that this may be related to the ACL tear that Leonard suffered in 2021, Wojnarowski says that the Clippers have clarified to him that this injury is unrelated although it is on the same right knee.
The Suns are leading the series 2-1 and Leonard was putting up a combined 69 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists and four steals through the two games that he played, even though he wasn’t 100%. If he can come back in Game 5, even in a small supporting role, it could give the Clippers a lift, but of course LA would rather have him fit and rested for Game 6 if need be.