Kawhi Leonard ruled out of Clippers-Thunder matchup on Thursday – originally posted on Sportslens.com
The LA Clippers will again be without franchise star Kawhi Leonard for the second meeting with the Oklahoma City Thunder in less than a week.
The five-time All Star returned to the court for the first time since undergoing ACL surgery in the summer of 2021, but did not play in Tuesday’s 108-94 loss to the Thunder.
Leonard complained of a stiff knee that required surgery last year in pregame warmups.
Clippers boss Tyronn Lue insisted the two-time NBA champion is yet to face another setback, but LA is proceeding with extra caution after this latest bump in the road.
His absence, along with the return of John Wall, has been felt on the Clippers for months and loyal fans were eager for his speedy return ahead of this new season. However, Tuesday’s tie with Oklahoma showed how important his inclusions can be in the future, having lost by 26 against a team that had previously failed to record a win thus far.
Clippers coach Ty Lue said before the game, “We want to be cautious, make sure we’re doing the right thing with him; even though he wanted to play, we thought he was not smart.
“He can be mad at us if he wants to, but he’s not smart right now.”
The league is in a much better place when Kawhi Leonard and John Wall are fit and healthy.
pic.twitter.com/DS5eLZmnIi
— Hilltop Hoops (@HilltopNBA) October 21, 2022
pic.twitter.com/DS5eLZmnIiLeonard has appeared for just over 20 minutes in his two appearances this season so far, but his contribution has been quickly felt with 25 points and 13 rebounds in 42 minutes.
The Clippers faithful will be on the lookout for retribution when they take on the Thunder as NBA betting favorites at the Paycom Center on Thursday, but for a team that sits second in the NBA standings after the first week, there is little room for respite.
They haven’t managed to put up 100 points in their last two games, and while the Thunder remain 1-3 so far this season, they’ll take solace in the fact that LA turned over 21 offensive rebounds and couldn’t capitalize on their least favorable four of 30. triple attempts.
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