Los Angeles Clippers ahead Kawhi Leonard was dominated out of Sunday’s Sport 4 of a first-round collection towards the Dallas Mavericks, with no timetable for his return from proper knee irritation.
The Clippers received with out Leonard once more, holding on for a 116-111 victory after successful the collection opener. Leonard performed within the second and third video games of the collection after lacking 9 consecutive video games, together with the ultimate eight of the common season.
The six-time All-Star by no means regarded comfy within the Clippers’ 101-90 loss in Sport 3, ending with 9 factors on simply seven photographs, his fewest in a playoff sport in 10 years. Leonard performed 25 minutes as Dallas took a 2-1 collection lead.
“If you watch him play, it was very apparent that’s not Kawhi Leonard,” group president Lawrence Frank stated earlier than the sport, calling the damage “tough.”
Frank added the Clippers don’t know when the 32-year-old’s surgically repaired knee is likely to be prepared for a sport.
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LA received the collection opener with out Leonard, with James Harden scoring 28 factors and going 6 of 11 from 3-point vary. They did it once more in Sport 4, with Harden and Paul George every scoring 33 factors and enjoying large fourth-quarter roles after the Clippers blew a 31-point lead.
“We’ve performed with out Kawhi earlier than,” coach Tyronn Lue stated earlier than the sport. “We are able to’t dangle our heads. We perceive what it takes, what we’ve got to do, how we have to play, the blueprint. And we ready for each conditions. Simply thank Kawhi for attempting to get on the market and attempting to do what he can.”
Leonard performed 68 regular-season video games, probably the most for the two-time NBA champion for the reason that 2016-17 season in San Antonio. The knee flared up earlier than LA’s first April sport.
“It’s undoubtedly devastating for Kawhi, all of the work he’s put on this yr and the quantity of video games he’s performed and labored arduous to get so far, to the place he needs to be within the playoffs,” Lue stated. “After which to be damage and never be capable of be 100% and play the best way he’s able to enjoying. I really feel dangerous for him.”
Leonard, who missed all of 2021-22 with a knee damage, averaged 23.7 factors, 6.1 rebounds and three.6 assists this season and is taken into account one of many group’s finest defenders. He has profession playoff averages of 21.3 factors, 7.8 rebounds and a pair of.9 assists.
“It’s irritating for the gamers, for the group, for the followers,” Lue stated. “We perceive that. It’s what it’s. Accidents are a part of sports activities. There’s quite a lot of nice gamers, not simply Kawhi, that’s out proper now in the course of the playoffs as nicely. Each group goes by means of it.”