The Los Angeles Clippers are playing some great basketball down the stretch of the 2023-24 NBA regular season, but they will have to find a way to pick up a win against a legitimate title contender this Tuesday on the road without their best player, Kawhi Leonard.
Kawhi Leonard Not Playing In Los Angeles Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns Game
The 32-year-old Leonard has missed the last four games of the Clippers and will now be out for the fifth consecutive contest because of a right knee inflammation, as reported by Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
Kawhi Leonard (right knee inflammation) remains out against Phoenix tomorrow.
Despite his absence, Los Angeles has managed to go 3-1 in the last four games, including a miraculous 120-118 win at home over the Cleveland Cavaliers last Sunday in which the Clippers overcame a 26-point deficit.
Even though they are doing a fine job surviving the absence of Leonard, the Clippers are still at their best when The Klaw is healthy and available to play. On the season, Leonard owns the best Win Shares (8.7) and the highest Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) with 4.4 among Clippers players. He is also averaging 23.7 points on 58.5 effective field goal percentage, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per outing.
The soonest Leonard can get back on the court will be on Wednesday when the Suns take their turn hosting the Clippers. After that, the Clippers will face off against the Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets on Friday and Sunday, respectively, to conclude LA’s regular season.
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