Los Angeles Clipper star Kawhi Leonard is not going to be on the courtroom for Activity 1 of their 1st-round series versus the Dallas Mavericks.
According to Clippers insider Brad Turner from the Los Angeles Occasions, Leonard is ruled out for Activity 1 because of to right knee inflammation. Turner shared by means of X just an hour and a fifty percent ahead of tip-off.
Clippers mentor Ty Lue mentioned Kawhi Leonard is out with irritation in his right knee. Recreation 2 is Tuesday and Clippers unsure if Leonard will be readily available then.
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) April 21, 2024
This will be Leonard’s ninth consecutive video game skipped courting back to March 31 from the Charlotte Hornets on the highway. The 32-calendar year-previous played 37 minutes and gathered 23 factors, five rebounds and two assists on 52.6% taking pictures from the subject. The six-time All-star played in 68 video games in the 2023-2024 season, the most he has due to the fact the 2016-2017 year with the San Antonio Spurs.
That period, he played 74 video games and averaged 25.5 details for every activity, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 helps. He concluded third in MVP voting, was named All-NBA Initially-Team, First-team All-Protection, an All-Star and 3rd in Defensive Player of the Calendar year.
It’s like Déjà vu for Leonard and Clipper admirers. Leonard missed time throughout final year’s playoffs with a ideal knee personal injury. He tore his meniscus in the to start with spherical of last year’s playoffs versus the Phoenix Suns. In the end, Los Angeles was removed just after a gentlemen’s sweep of 1-4, and Leonard only performed a person video game in that collection.
Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images
Leonard will be out for modern matchup, and his standing for Game 2 of the sequence is unsure. The Mavericks are the favorites to get video game 1 at -3.5. The about/below is established at 221.5. The Dallas moneyline is at -170, while the Clippers moneyline is at +140.
The ideal knee issues continue for the gifted two-time Finals MVP. In his vocation, Leonard is a 20. position for each game scorer, 6.4 rebounds, and 3. helps per sport while taking pictures 49.9% from the subject and 39.1% from at the rear of the arc. Leonard has also been named a 7-time All-Defensive group, two-time Defensive Participant of the 12 months and member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Staff.
With no Leonard, the Clippers most likely really don’t stand a possibility in opposition to this high-run Mavericks staff led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The Mavericks are coming into this sequence as 1 of the very best groups in the NBA and concluded the normal season with a 7-3 document in their very last 10 online games.
The Clippers will need to have their other superstars, like Paul George, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook to phase up major-time. It will be a obstacle but this Clippers crew has played without the need of Leonard a good deal of periods right before. Tip-off is set at 12:30 p.m. PT/ 3:30 p.m. ET. from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
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