The Los Angeles Clippers are trailing the Phoenix Suns 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals after a wild game on Saturday night. The Clippers have plenty of chances to take the lead and the win, but they missed them, leaving the door open for the Suns.
Now that the team is on the verge of elimination, everybody started wondering when Kawhi Leonard is returning to action. The Klaw has been sidelined since Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals, and it’s unclear if he’ll be back in action this postseason.
After the game was over, Paul George was inquired about Leonard’s chances to play in Game 5. The swingman said he has no idea about it, and he shouldn’t speak for Kawhi, but nobody on the team would force him to return if he doesn’t feel fully healthy.
“I can’t speak for him, to the health of Kawhi,” George said, via ESPN. “If he’s not 100, we don’t want him out there. I mean, that’s just as a brother, as a teammate. His health long term is more important than what’s going on now. I can’t speak on the extent of his injury or, you know, what he [can] and cannot give us. Like I’ve been saying, his health is just more important than anything else.”
Even without Kawhi on the court, the Clippers have put up a fight against the Suns. They were close to winning every game that the Suns won; little details prevented them from getting a couple of Ws, and that’s where Kawhi’s importance takes another dimension.
Game 5 is scheduled for this Monday, so we’ll see if the Klaw can make his return to the floor or if the Clippers will try to pull off the upset without their best player at the Phoenix Suns Arena.
