Kawhi Leonard suffered a right knee sprain in Game 1 of the Los Angeles Clippers’ opening round matchup against the Phoenix Suns. After playing through the pain in Game 2, the Clippers ruled Leonard out for Game 3 while refusing to say if or when he’d be able to get back on the floor.
On Friday night, we learned of Leonard’s status for the next game in the series. With the Clippers facing a 2-1 deficit, the team announced that Leonard will not be able to play in Game 4, where he’ll join fellow All-Star wing Paul George in watching the festivities from the sideline — George suffered a knee sprain back in March, and while he has been rehabilitating the injury, it was reported before the start of the series that it was unlikely he’d be healthy enough to play in the first round.
Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard (knee) will not play in Game 4 on Saturday versus the Phoenix Suns.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) April 22, 2023
There continues to be no word on whether Leonard will be able to return later in the series. After Game 4 on Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles, the series will return to Phoenix for Game 5 on Tuesday. Should the Suns pick up a win on Saturday, that game at the Footprint Center could, potentially, be the last time the Clippers take the floor this season.