The Clippers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 109-97 at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday in the opening game of their first-round playoff series. However, Kawhi Leonard was not in the lineup.
Leonard’s surgically repaired right knee was inflamed, causing him to miss his tenth consecutive game. Coach Ty Lue said before to the game that his status for Tuesday’s Game 2 is still unknown.
He has not played since March 31 and has not engaged in any contact drills throughout the season.
Lue said that in recent sessions, Leonard has shot with more movement. Game 1 and Game 2 are separated by one day. However, neither team plays again until Friday in Dallas for Game 3.
Lue said, “I’m not sure,” when asked whether Leonard may miss many games in the first round. “He’s making progress. For the last several days, he has been on the floor. We’re just going day by day.”
According to Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations for the Clippers, Leonard’s surgically repaired right ACL and meniscus are structurally sound. However, Frank described the inflammation as “unpredictable” and “stubborn.”
“It’s tough for him, but he’s getting better,” added Lue. “But he’s frustrated, as he should be.”
Due to a torn meniscus, Leonard was unable to participate in the last three games of the previous year’s first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns.
Paul George expressed his frustration at having to deal with injuries for himself and Leonard during yet another playoffs. Due to an injury, George was unable to participate in the first-round game against Phoenix last year.
Only one playoff campaign (2020) has the team experienced with both Leonard and George fully healthy.
“I think from the injury standpoint, we’ve just been unlucky,” George said. “But [we are] more so focused on [the] positive and do think at some point he’ll be with us.”
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