The game against the Suns was Leonard’s first appearance in the NBA playoffs since he tore his ACL in Western Conference Semifinals in 2021. He played 42 minutes, going 13-24 from the floor while being his usual menace on the defensive side of the ball.

Speaking with reporters after the game, Clippers’ head coach Ty Lue said that Leonard would continue playing heavy minutes as the team looks to overcome the absence of All-Star forward Paul George.

“That’s what we’ve been saving up for, this moment here in the playoffs,” said Lue. “We have to play heavy minutes, especially with PG being out, being short-handed. He was great tonight.”

The Clippers also saw a big performance from veteran guard Russell Westbrook. While Westbrook struggled to shoot the ball, going 3-19, he helped the Clippers in other ways. The former NBA MVP played great defense, grabbed key offensive rebounds, and iced the game for the Clippers with a huge block on Devin Booker in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

Kevin Durant had a near triple-double for the Suns, scoring 27 points to go with nine rebounds and 11 assists. Booker and Torrey Craig had 26 points and 22 points, respectively.

The series stays in Phoenix, with the Clippers and the Suns set to face again in Game 2 on Tuesday night.

The post Kawhi Leonard Scores 38 Points in Clippers’ Upset 110-115 Win Over the Suns appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Leonard sprained his right ankle during the Clippers’ 114-121 win over the Utah Jazz on Monday night, He landed awkwardly after attempting to block a shot during the fourth quarter of the game.

According to Leonard, the injury is not of a severe nature. “Just rolled my ankle, But I should be fine,” he stated following Monday’s game.

This injury comes shortly after Leonard returned to action following a long-term knee injury. The win over Utah was Leonard’s third game since returning from a 12-week absence.

Leonard first started experiencing stiffness in his surgically repaired right knee on October 25. Before that, he appeared in two of the Clippers’ first three games of the season. Leonard was sidelined for the entirety of last season, after tearing his ACL during the Clippers’ second-round playoff series against Utah on June 14, 2021.

In addition to Leonard, Paul George will also miss the Warriors’ clash as he continues to recuperate from a right hamstring tendon strain.

The post Kawhi Leonard Ruled Out of Warriors Game appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“The first time he was able to get on the floor and play 5-on-5 and he looked pretty good,” Lue commented. “Still have a ways to go, but that was the first sign of positivity of him getting on the floor, playing 5-on-5.”

Leonard began experiencing discomfort in his surgically replaced right knee during a morning shootaround in Oklahoma City on October 25. The player underwent surgery after tearing his right ACL in Game 4 of the second round against the Utah Jazz on June 14, 2021; an injury that ruled him out for the entirety of last season.

According to Lue, there is currently no set timeframe for Leonard’s return to the court. While he has made significant strides in his rehabilitation. Leonard will not be included in the Clippers’ home game against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.

The post Kawhi Leonard “Looking Pretty Good” in Injury Recovery appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“I think at this point, it’s just no one knows when you’re dealing with a recovery from an ACL [injury], the time frame,” Frank told the reporters on Friday when asked about the possibility of Leonard stepping on the court in the upcoming season. “Even just to save you guys [from asking] throughout the year, is no one knows.”

Frank added that Leonard has a “very detailed plan” regarding his rehab process, and the Clippers will “let his body and the doctors” tell them when he will return to action.

Kawhi Leonard got hurt during the 2021 playoffs, suffering a knee injury in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Utah Jazz. Leonard didn’t return for the remainder of the postseason, with the Clippers initially describing the injury as “sprained knee.” However, the injury proved to be a lot more severe than that, forcing the 30-year-old superstar to undergo surgery on his ACL in the summer.

The fact that he will miss most of the entire 2021-22 season didn’t stop Leonard from landing a new lucrative deal from the Clippers. He inked a four-year, $176.3 million contract with the franchise in August.

Leonard earned All-NBA First Team and All-Star honors last season while leading the Clippers to fourth-seed in the Western Conference. He averaged 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game.

The post Clippers: “No One Knows” if Kawhi Leonard Will Play in 2021-22 appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

After trailing 38-35 in the first quarter, the Clippers bounced back in the second and were up by eight at halftime. The Mavs responded with a 19-6 run, only to break down offensively and defensively towards the end of the period.

Following a 24-4 blitz, the Clippers took over the control of the game and then managed to hold off Dallas in the final quarter with some clutch threes by Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris Sr.

Kawhi Leonard followed up his 45-point performance in Game 6 with a near triple-double in Game 7. He had 28 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists and played some great defense on Mavs phenom Luka Doncic down the stretch.

“It’s all about the moment,” said Leonard after the game. “You got to be aggressive all night and don’t try to make the game be perfect.”

The Clippers also had huge help from their bench, getting 24 points combined from Terance Mann and Luke Kennard alone.

Doncic put another ridiculous performance for Dallas, finishing the game with 46 points, 14 assists, and seven rebounds. And while the Mavs’ other four starters also reached double digits in points, the production of their bench was abysmal. All they got was four points and two rebounds from Dwight Powell, while Jalen Brunson managed two points, four boards, and one assist.

The Los Angeles Clippers will now look to further cement their status as a championship contender in a second-round matchup against the No. 1 seeded Utah Jazz.

The Mavericks are back to the drawing board and need to figure out how to prevent another early playoff exit next season.

The post Clippers Top Mavs in Decisive Game 7 appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

In a piece published on ESPN on Monday, the magazine’s senior writer Zach Lowe reported that several sources told him that Leonard initially recruited Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to come play with him in LA.

We already knew that Kawhi Leonard reached out to Durant at some point in the past few weeks, but his attempt to partner up with Irving is something new. Leonard’s recruitment attempts, however, fell short as Irving and Durant decided to go to New York and for another championship contender with Brooklyn Nets. 

According to sources, Leonard was reluctant to join Los Angeles Clippers without a second superstar, so he contacted George and convinced him to ask for a trade from Oklahoma City Thunder. Clippers managed to engineer a trade with OKC and Leonard then agreed to sign a four-year $142 million max deal with the franchise.

The post Kawhi Leonard Reportedly Recruited Kyrie Irving to Follow him to Clippers appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The game against the Suns was Leonard’s first appearance in the NBA playoffs since he tore his ACL in Western Conference Semifinals in 2021. He played 42 minutes, going 13-24 from the floor while being his usual menace on the defensive side of the ball.

Speaking with reporters after the game, Clippers’ head coach Ty Lue said that Leonard would continue playing heavy minutes as the team looks to overcome the absence of All-Star forward Paul George.

“That’s what we’ve been saving up for, this moment here in the playoffs,” said Lue. “We have to play heavy minutes, especially with PG being out, being short-handed. He was great tonight.”

The Clippers also saw a big performance from veteran guard Russell Westbrook. While Westbrook struggled to shoot the ball, going 3-19, he helped the Clippers in other ways. The former NBA MVP played great defense, grabbed key offensive rebounds, and iced the game for the Clippers with a huge block on Devin Booker in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

Kevin Durant had a near triple-double for the Suns, scoring 27 points to go with nine rebounds and 11 assists. Booker and Torrey Craig had 26 points and 22 points, respectively.

The series stays in Phoenix, with the Clippers and the Suns set to face again in Game 2 on Tuesday night.

The post Kawhi Leonard Scores 38 Points in Clippers’ Upset 110-115 Win Over the Suns appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Leonard sprained his right ankle during the Clippers’ 114-121 win over the Utah Jazz on Monday night, He landed awkwardly after attempting to block a shot during the fourth quarter of the game.

According to Leonard, the injury is not of a severe nature. “Just rolled my ankle, But I should be fine,” he stated following Monday’s game.

This injury comes shortly after Leonard returned to action following a long-term knee injury. The win over Utah was Leonard’s third game since returning from a 12-week absence.

Leonard first started experiencing stiffness in his surgically repaired right knee on October 25. Before that, he appeared in two of the Clippers’ first three games of the season. Leonard was sidelined for the entirety of last season, after tearing his ACL during the Clippers’ second-round playoff series against Utah on June 14, 2021.

In addition to Leonard, Paul George will also miss the Warriors’ clash as he continues to recuperate from a right hamstring tendon strain.

The post Kawhi Leonard Ruled Out of Warriors Game appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“The first time he was able to get on the floor and play 5-on-5 and he looked pretty good,” Lue commented. “Still have a ways to go, but that was the first sign of positivity of him getting on the floor, playing 5-on-5.”

Leonard began experiencing discomfort in his surgically replaced right knee during a morning shootaround in Oklahoma City on October 25. The player underwent surgery after tearing his right ACL in Game 4 of the second round against the Utah Jazz on June 14, 2021; an injury that ruled him out for the entirety of last season.

According to Lue, there is currently no set timeframe for Leonard’s return to the court. While he has made significant strides in his rehabilitation. Leonard will not be included in the Clippers’ home game against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.

The post Kawhi Leonard “Looking Pretty Good” in Injury Recovery appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“I think at this point, it’s just no one knows when you’re dealing with a recovery from an ACL [injury], the time frame,” Frank told the reporters on Friday when asked about the possibility of Leonard stepping on the court in the upcoming season. “Even just to save you guys [from asking] throughout the year, is no one knows.”

Frank added that Leonard has a “very detailed plan” regarding his rehab process, and the Clippers will “let his body and the doctors” tell them when he will return to action.

Kawhi Leonard got hurt during the 2021 playoffs, suffering a knee injury in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Utah Jazz. Leonard didn’t return for the remainder of the postseason, with the Clippers initially describing the injury as “sprained knee.” However, the injury proved to be a lot more severe than that, forcing the 30-year-old superstar to undergo surgery on his ACL in the summer.

The fact that he will miss most of the entire 2021-22 season didn’t stop Leonard from landing a new lucrative deal from the Clippers. He inked a four-year, $176.3 million contract with the franchise in August.

Leonard earned All-NBA First Team and All-Star honors last season while leading the Clippers to fourth-seed in the Western Conference. He averaged 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game.

The post Clippers: “No One Knows” if Kawhi Leonard Will Play in 2021-22 appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

After trailing 38-35 in the first quarter, the Clippers bounced back in the second and were up by eight at halftime. The Mavs responded with a 19-6 run, only to break down offensively and defensively towards the end of the period.

Following a 24-4 blitz, the Clippers took over the control of the game and then managed to hold off Dallas in the final quarter with some clutch threes by Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris Sr.

Kawhi Leonard followed up his 45-point performance in Game 6 with a near triple-double in Game 7. He had 28 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists and played some great defense on Mavs phenom Luka Doncic down the stretch.

“It’s all about the moment,” said Leonard after the game. “You got to be aggressive all night and don’t try to make the game be perfect.”

The Clippers also had huge help from their bench, getting 24 points combined from Terance Mann and Luke Kennard alone.

Doncic put another ridiculous performance for Dallas, finishing the game with 46 points, 14 assists, and seven rebounds. And while the Mavs’ other four starters also reached double digits in points, the production of their bench was abysmal. All they got was four points and two rebounds from Dwight Powell, while Jalen Brunson managed two points, four boards, and one assist.

The Los Angeles Clippers will now look to further cement their status as a championship contender in a second-round matchup against the No. 1 seeded Utah Jazz.

The Mavericks are back to the drawing board and need to figure out how to prevent another early playoff exit next season.

The post Clippers Top Mavs in Decisive Game 7 appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

In a piece published on ESPN on Monday, the magazine’s senior writer Zach Lowe reported that several sources told him that Leonard initially recruited Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to come play with him in LA.

We already knew that Kawhi Leonard reached out to Durant at some point in the past few weeks, but his attempt to partner up with Irving is something new. Leonard’s recruitment attempts, however, fell short as Irving and Durant decided to go to New York and for another championship contender with Brooklyn Nets. 

According to sources, Leonard was reluctant to join Los Angeles Clippers without a second superstar, so he contacted George and convinced him to ask for a trade from Oklahoma City Thunder. Clippers managed to engineer a trade with OKC and Leonard then agreed to sign a four-year $142 million max deal with the franchise.

The post Kawhi Leonard Reportedly Recruited Kyrie Irving to Follow him to Clippers appeared first on yoursportspot.com.