Injuries are the worst part of sports but are a part of sports nonetheless. And, sadly, this season has been plagued by multiple injuries from some of the best players in the world.
Klay Thompson, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Jaylen Brown, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving are some of the most prominent names in the league who had to miss a key stretch of the season due to injuries.
Now, you can add Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard to that list, as he’s not expected to play tonight in Game 5 against the Utah Jazz with a knee injury:
“Kawhi Leonard is expected to miss Game 5 against the Jazz tonight with a knee injury suffered in game 4, sources tell @ramonashelburne & me. His status for rest of series is in doubt as well. Leonard told teammates last night to prepare for him to be out. He landed awkwardly on a drive in the fourth quarter and grimaced in pain Monday night. He briefly stayed in game but didn’t finish as the Clippers secured the win to even series 2-2,” Windhorst reported on a couple of Tweets.
Leonard told teammates last night to prepare for him to be out.
He landed awkwardly on a drive in the fourth quarter and grimaced in pain Monday night. He briefly stayed in game but didn’t finish as the Clippers secured the win to even series 2-2.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) June 16, 2021
Needless to say, even if the Clippers have Paul George and enough depth to overcome most players being out, they don’t stand a chance to win without their best player and one of the best defenders in the world.
The Jazz are also missing a key piece of their squad in Mike Conley but Donovan Mitchell has done an outstanding job of stepping up in his place. Now, they should be heavily favored to win this series if Kawhi isn’t able to suit up for Game 5, 6, and potentially 7.
**UPDATE**
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Leonard suffered an ACL injury, meaning that he’ll remain sidelined for an indefinite time.
Clippers fear All-NBA star Kawhi Leonard has suffered an ACL injury, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. He is out indefinitely.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 16, 2021
This is the last thing anybody wants to see, especially in the playoffs. But that’s also a part of the game.
