Kawhi Leonard’s Return to Clippers Lineup Could Be Short-Lived, Per Injury Report for Game 3 vs Mavericks

The Los Angeles Clippers‘ odds of beating the Dallas Mavericks and advancing to the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs took a massive hit following a tough home loss in Game 2 at Crypto.com Arena. The two teams slugged it out in a low-scoring affair before late-game heroics from Luka Doncic sealed a narrow three-point win for the Mavericks. The home loss for the Clippers was a bit surprising, because the game also marked the return of their centerpiece, Kawhi Leonard, after a prolonged hiatus.

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After two games in LA, the series now heads to Dallas for the next two crucial encounters. A perfect homestand from the Mavericks will see them take a 3-1 lead in the series and be on the precipice of a conference semifinal berth. From the Clippers’ standpoint, they must steal at least one game from their road trip to Texas to flip the homecourt advantage back in their favor. In such a scenario, the Clips were looking forward to Kawhi slowly finding back his rhythm with gametime as the season progresses. But they could have to do it without their superstar forward, who’s back on the NBA’s injury report ahead of Game 3.

The veteran is struggling with his right knee inflammation and has been listed as ‘questionable’ for Friday’s encounter. Leonard missed Game 1 due to the same ailment and after a lukewarm performance in his return in Game 2, he’s struggling with it again. The 32-year-old will likely undergo a fitness test during the Clippers’ shootaround and the doctors will decide whether he’s ready to face the Mavericks on the road. Given the stakes, it’s unlikely that Leonard will sit out of this all-important battle. However, his minutes might be restricted.

The Clippers need not panic if Kawhi Leonard doesn’t suit up for Game 3

While the Clippers would prefer having Kawhi Leonard on the court against the Mavericks on Friday, they will not sweat it if he’s unable to pass the fitness test and suit up. LA has learned to cope with Leonard’s absence. In the 14 games he missed during the regular season, the Clippers boasted a .500 record.

LA also recorded a comfortable 109-97 win in Game 1 against the Mavs in Leonard’s absence, with veteran guard James Harden picking up the slack. The former league MVP was in his element against the Mavericks in Game 1 and finished with 28 points, eight assists, and two rebounds. Paul George also had a decent outing, scoring 22 points, six rebounds, and three assists in a critical win for the Clippers.

Harden and George will try to repeat their Game 1 heroics for the Clippers to stand a chance of stealing a win in Game 3 in Dallas.