Los Angeles Clippers already rule Kawhi Leonard out for Game 5: What it means

Los Angeles Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard has suited up in just two of their first four games to open the NBA Playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks.

Leonard continues to deal with a knee injury that cost him the final eight games of the regular season. He missed Game 1, but was able to return for the next two outings before sitting on Sunday due to inflammation in the knee.

We now have an update on Leonard’s status for Game 5 against the Mavericks Wednesday in Southern California. Head coach Tyronn Lue has already ruled the two-time NBA Finals MVP out for said game .

This would typically be a major blow for the Clippers. But it must be noted that they have played much better without Leonard in the series. That included winning the opener last week and Game 4 this past Sunday. It’s pretty obvious that Leonard is not 100% and isn’t helping the Clippers due to the aforementioned injury.

• Kawhi Leonard stats (2023-24 NBA Playoffs): 12.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 46% shooting

With Leonard sidelined, James Harden has taken it upon himself to be more aggressive. The guard leads Los Angeles in scoring thus far in this series at 26.0 points per game. Ivica Zubac has also stepped up big time (16.3 PPG).

Los Angeles has an opportunity Wednesday evening to take back home-court advantage after it nearly blew a 31-point lead against the Mavericks in Big D this past weekend.

Related: Kawhi Leonard and the best NBA players of 2024

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