Kawhi Leonard, the star forward for the Los Angeles Clippers, will miss Game 4 of the team’s first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns due to a knee sprain (CBS Sports and Yahoo Sports). This news comes after Leonard also missed Game 3 due to the same injury (ESPN, The Athletic, Sports Illustrated, Los Angeles Times, and USA Today). Clippers head coach Ty Lue expressed his disappointment, calling the injury “very deflating” for the team (ESPN).
This isn’t Leonard’s first playoff injury, as he has a lengthy injury history (Sporting News). Despite missing Game 3, Leonard played through pain in Game 2 after hurting his right knee during Game 1 (Sports Illustrated).
The Clippers will have to find a way to win without Leonard in Game 4, which will air on multiple channels with a live stream available (Sporting News). With several key players injured throughout the NBA playoffs, this injury could have significant consequences for the Clippers’ chances of advancing.
