Without Paul George, the Clippers were already facing an uphill climb to win the series. Still, somehow, they won Game 1 and were able to steal home-court advantage.
But now, the Clippers have been dealt another blow after Clippers insider Ohm Youngmisuk reported today that Kawhi Leonard will miss Game 4 with a right knee sprain.
Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out for tonight with a right knee sprain according to source.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) April 20, 2023
The news came out of nowhere for the Clippers, who were obviously leaning on Kawhi to carry them through this series. Of course, the NBA community lamented for the Clips predicting their downfall is now an inevitability.
That sucks so much
— NBA University (@NBA_University) April 20, 2023
Clippers fans: pic.twitter.com/IIluLC7bi7
— Packburst (@Packbursts) April 20, 2023
It’s over wow
— 🎗NBA•Fan🎗 (@Klutch_23) April 20, 2023
Of course, this situation is just the latest in what has been an injury-riddled playoffs so far. The Heat lost Herro, the Bucks lost Giannis, and now Kawhi is out with some sort of mysterious leg injury.
Is this real?? Ain’t no way
— Mvtthew (@Trackingwho) April 20, 2023
what ? clippers are screwed again !👀
— Wayne Lee (@WayneLee1078) April 20, 2023
Of course, no matter who you are rooting for to win this series, not having Kawhi on the floor is a huge loss for everyone, as it means no chance of watching him perform at his best.
For the Suns, they need to take full advantage of Kawhi’s absence and re-take control of the series with a resounding victory tonight.
Can Suns Close This Series Out Quickly?
With the Clippers now bruised and battered, their path to the title just got easier, but it doesn’t mean they should try and sleep-walk their way through the series. With Russell Westbrook and a strong cast of defenders and shooters, the Clippers may still be a challenge for Phoenix to put away.
Ultimately, however, it will come down to Kevin Durant and how high he is able to elevate his game to send his team forward and make a statement.
“Playing with guys like Steph and Klay and Russ and Kyrie and James, all of that stuff has prepared me to play with guys that can do multiple things out on the floor,” Durant said on Wednesday, via Mark Medina of Sportsnaut. “But the common denominator is all of those guys are efficient players.”
Sadly, this series may be over before it ever really got started. As great as the matchup was on paper, the lack of health on the Clippers really robbed their opportunity for a fair fight.
It looks like Tyronn Lue and the team executives will have to re-consider their load management strategies if they want to keep their stars healthy next postseason.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
