NBA
LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard had an injection in his knee in early April, league sources mentioned. Leonard missed the ultimate eight video games of the common season and hasn’t performed since March 31.
The All-Star ahead managed his healthiest season since arriving in Los Angeles, enjoying in 68 video games (his most since 2016-17) whereas averaging a career-high 34.3 minutes per recreation this season.
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With out Leonard, the Clippers completed the 12 months 4-4 and located themselves within the Western Convention’s No. 4 spot with a first-round matchup in opposition to the Dallas Mavericks.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue mentioned Wednesday the workforce is getting ready to have Leonard on the courtroom for the sequence, which begins Sunday.
“We simply take it daily,” Lue mentioned. “He’s getting higher and we’ll see how a lot he continues to progress.”
Leonard averaged 23.7 factors, 6.1 rebounds and three.6 assists this season, making his first All-Star workforce since 2021. He has a well-documented damage historical past, which incorporates a number of proper knee accidents. He missed all of 2021-22 recovering from surgical procedure for an ACL tear and missed almost the entire 2017-18 season with proper quadriceps tendinopathy.
The Clippers went 7-7 with out Leonard this season and have a 2-1 in opposition to the Mavericks on the season. The Clippers and Mavericks have matched up within the first spherical of the playoffs 3 times previously 5 seasons.
(Picture: Jacob Kupferman / Getty Pictures)
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