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Is Kawhi Leonard Playing Tonight vs Suns? Clippers Star’s Availability Update Ahead of Face-Off With Devin Booker

Adit Pujari
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Is Kawhi Leonard Playing Tonight vs Suns? Clippers Star’s Availability Update Ahead of Face-Off With Devin Booker

Kawhi Leonard is expected to make a comeback after missing Saturday’s game, John Wall will also rejoin the Clippers squad.

Kawhi Leonard sat out Saturday’s game against the Sacramento Kings. He was joined by John Wall in the inactive roster following a need for injury management.

The Clippers won the game by just two points. The close call was definitely a little jarring, however, considering John Wall and Kawhi Leonard’s absence, it’s still a favorable outcome.

The Clippers have now extended their record to wins in two games, they will head to Sunday with hopes of another win. Luckily for them, Kawhi Leonard is expected to play. It’s likely that he will be on the starting 5 against Phoenix.

Also read: Is Andrew Wiggins Aaron Wiggins’ Brother? Exploring Relationship Between the Two Wiggins in the NBA

Kawhi Leonard will make an appearance against Phoenix Suns

Leonard spent the entire 2021-22 team in rehab from injury. Without him and Paul George, the Clippers won only 42 of their 40 games. The play-in tournament also proved detrimental to their playoffs dream.

But it seems the Clippers will see an entirely different season this time around. They have already won two of their two games by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings. If they can recreate this performance against the big clubs then the Clippers will go far this season.

On Sunday, they are all set to face the Suns. Their Western Conference Finals series from 2021 is still fresh in every Clippers fan’s mind. What was supposed to be a legitimate Finals campaign was thwarted by the trio of Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and DeAndre Ayton.

In their last 5 regular season meetings with Phoenix, the Clippers have lost 3. Add the 4-2 playoffs loss in 2021, it almost feels like the Suns have found an answer to LA Clippers’ dominance.

What to expect from Kawhi on Sunday

Leonard is yet to reach complete physical recovery. Even though he seems match-fit, the coaching staff in LA is being very careful with their star. He started the season opener from the bench and scored 14 points and gathered 7 boards in just 21 minutes.

The game against the Kings proved that Kawhi Leonard is still under strict scrutiny from his team. The Clippers do not want to take any chances.

With John Wall now a part of the team, they have a legitimate chance of going all the way. However, if Kawhi was to get injured, that chance would fizzle out like a poked balloon. So, even though Kawhi is going to play in the next game, don’t expect him to play more than 25 minutes.

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About the author

Adit Pujari

Adit Pujari

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Adit Pujari is an NBA Journalist and Strategist at The SportsRush. He formerly worked as a debate and writing trainer. An avid fan of Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, Adit began following the league in 2007. With the Lakers and Boston Celtics rivalry ripe, he found himself hooked to the sport immediately. After 15 years of religiously following the league, he decided to use his knowledge base as a sports writer in 2021. Since then, he has worked as an NBA writer, led a team of MLB writers, and has now joined The SportsRush. In his spare time, Adit loves playing pickup games and exploring hidden Himalayan trails.

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