L.A. Clippers star Kawhi Leonard will miss Wednesday’s Game 5 against the Utah Jazz with a right knee injury that could cause him to miss the rest of the season.
The Clippers announced Wednesday that Leonard suffered a right knee sprain in their Game 4 victory and there is “no timetable for his return.” According to the Athletic’s Shams Charania, the team fears that Kawhi has suffered an ACL injury. Either way, he is listed as out indefinitely.
Kawhi appeared to tweak the knee on a drive late in L.A.’s Game 4 victory in the Western Conference semifinals. He stayed in briefly but didn’t finish the game.
As reported by ESPN’s Malika Andrews, the injury makes him the eighth different All-Star to miss a playoff game this year—the most in a season in NBA history, according to Elias Sports Bureau. The other seven players who’ve missed playing time this spring: Anthony Davis, James Harden, Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, and Mike Conley.
Meanwhile, Chris Paul threatens to expand that list to nine All-Stars, as the Suns point guard entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols on Wednesday and is also out indefinitely.
With the legitimacy of this year’s NBA playoffs in question due to injuries LeBron James was among those who pointed to commissioner Adam Silver and the league for shortening the offseasons and rushing the regular season after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NBA to finish its season in the Bubble not too long ago. Many couldn’t help but point out the fact that Silver’s financial priorities are at least partly to blame for the rash of injuries in this year’s playoffs.
Check out notable reactions to all the injuries below.
