Kawhi Leonard Injury Update: Knee “Didn’t Respond” The Way 2x Champ Wanted To

The Los Angeles Clippers saw Kawhi Leonard in the lineup for just the 2nd time in more than 3 weeks. However, the addition of their best 2-way player culminated in another tough loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Despite a 5-point lead after the first stretch, the Clippers collapsed in the second, trailing by double digits at the half. Even though the Clippers out-rebounded and shot better than the home squad, they failed to outrun Dallas in the 101-90 loss.

Now, as a Game 4 on the road looms more seriously than ever, concerning updates come from Kawhi Leonard directly. When asked about his failure to put a major impact on his recent return to the lineup, Leonard said that his knee “just didn’t respond the way we wanted it to after the first game.” However, the all-star then claimed that the team’s medical staff is working towards figuring a way out, adding, “but we’re going to get it right.” Moreover, Kawhi revealed that his knee was the major reason behind his limited court-time in tonight’s game (25 minutes).

Despite his arrival to the Clippers’ lineup, Kawhi’s is still dealing with the knee inflammation that rendered him unavailable since April 2. Luckily, the Clippers’ fans can expect to see more of their 2-time champ. While citing the ongoing scare, LA’s head coach Ty Lue, in the latest post-game, claimed to see Leonard available for the Game 4.

Moreover, Leonard himself shows a leaning towards coming back with proper health. With frustrations from the late-season injury surmounting on his usually laid-back demeanor, Kawhi claimed, “I want to play,” in lights of the Sunday night game.

How did Kawhi Leonard do in game 3?

Kawhi Leonard stepped in the Game 3 after being labeled as questionable throughout their rest days. He was nowhere close to his usual self on either side of the floor. Scoring just 9 points, he attempted a dismal 7 shots from the floor – a huge decrease from his 17.1 field goals attempts per game in regular season.

Even though he grabbed 9 rebounds, it did not affect Clippers’ chances as Kawhi gave up 4 turnovers and culminated a -4 rating (+3 in regular season).

Nevertheless, Leonard was not the sole reason why LA lost the game. They gave up a whopping 19 turnovers and shot less than 26% from the three. The team just couldn’t get out of the offensive rut harbored in the second quarter.

This season, the Clippers gave fans what they had been expecting since 2019 – a complete offensive dominance. Even though it took additions of James Harden and Russell Westbrook, Steve Ballmer’s seemed impossible to defeat during certain stretches of the season. However, as Kawhi’s injury holds them back from repeating the Game 1 success against Dallas, it looks like they are, once again, one the verge of repeating history – injuries restricting the franchise to reach its full potential.