Kawhi Leonard Ruled Out For Game 3 Due To Right Knee Sprain, Clippers Confirm

Photo: Instagram/Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard, the star player of the Los Angeles Clippers, will not be playing in Game 3 of their Western Conference playoff series against the Phoenix Suns due to a right knee sprain.

Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank confirmed that Leonard aggravated the injury during Game 1 and played through it in Game 2, but it did not improve afterward.

Leonard is said to be disappointed as he desperately wants to play.
The Clippers will be without both of their star players against the Suns' trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Chris Paul, as Paul George has been out since March 21 due to a right knee sprain.

Photo: Instagram/Kawhi Leonard was heavily guarded by Kevin Durant during Game 2 of the LA Clippers and Phoenix Suns playoff series.

Despite this setback, coach Tyronn Lue expressed confidence that the team is locked in and ready to step up.

Leonard, who is averaging 34.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and six assists through the first two games of the best-of-seven series, was seen at the arena in street clothes, walking without a noticeable limp.

The team has ruled him out for Game 3 and is taking it day-by-day.
Frank explained that if they were not comfortable with Leonard playing in Game 2, they would not have allowed him to do so.

However, the injury did not improve as expected, leading to Leonard's absence in Game 3.

Leonard missed all of last season while recovering from surgery for a torn right ACL, making this injury another setback in his career.

Read Next: Harden Ejected And Embiid Receives Flagrant Foul In Intense Playoff Matchup Between Sixers And Nets

Source: NBA 

Comments

Post a Comment

Trending Now

Brittney Griner's Heartfelt Moment With Caitlin Clark Brings Fans To Tears Ahead of WNBA Clash

Image
Photo: Instagram/Brittney Griner The WNBA is abuzz with anticipation as the Indiana Fever prepare to take on the Phoenix Mercury in a highly anticipated match this Sunday. It marks the first encounter of the season between Caitlin Clark and the Fever, facing off against Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner , and the Mercury, with this being their sole road meeting in 2024. Leading up to the game, all eyes were on a touching moment between Brittney Griner, the Mercury's center, and rookie Caitlin Clark. Just moments before tip-off, Griner approached Clark, following Taurasi, and warmly embraced the young player. Photo: Instagram/Brittney Griner The exchange, captured by user Vanshay Murdock and shared widely, highlighted the stark height difference between the two WNBA stars. Fans took to social media to express their emotions, with one writing, "BG like a giant compared to her I’m crying," reflecting on Griner's imposing stature next to Clark. Another fan exclaimed, "
Read More

Dana White Explains Hesitation On Alex Pereira Moving To Heavyweight

Image
Photo: Instagram/Alex Pereira Alex Pereira has quickly made a name for himself in the UFC. After just seven fights, he became a two-division champion, holding titles in both light heavyweight and middleweight. Recently, he won against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303, sparking discussions about him moving up to the heavyweight division. UFC CEO Dana White shared his thoughts at the UFC 303 post-fight press conference. He mentioned that shortly after Pereira's win, UFC commentator Joe Rogan , along with many fans, were eager to see Pereira compete in the heavyweight class. White praised Pereira's readiness and fighting spirit but expressed some reservations. He highlighted that the heavyweight division is currently busy, with interim champion Tom Aspinall set to fight Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in July. Additionally, Jon Jones is expected to fight Stipe Miocic later this year. Photo: Instagram/Alex Pereira While Pereira could aim to fight the winners of these matches to become a th
Read More

Bronny James Joins LeBron With Lakers, Making NBA History As Father-Son Duo

Image
Photo: Instagram/Bronny James Bronny James will join his father, LeBron James , on the Los Angeles Lakers next season, marking the first active father-son duo in NBA history. This historic moment was made possible by a series of collective efforts from Bronny, LeBron, the Lakers, and the other 29 NBA teams. The other teams in the NBA passed on selecting Bronny in the 2024 NBA Draft, allowing the Lakers to pick him at No. 55. LeBron’s incredible 21-year career and Bronny’s impressive high school performance also made this possible. Bronny, who played at Sierra Canyon in Los Angeles and then at USC , had a challenging year due to a congenital heart defect but still showed enough potential to be drafted. Although his college stats were modest, he impressed scouts with his skills and basketball IQ. Photo: Instagram/Bronny James Bronny may start the season in the NBA G League, but he is expected to join his father on the court at some point. Lakers GM Rob Pelinka praised Bronny’s characte
Read More

Terence Crawford Says There's Only One Man Who Can Beat Him

Image
Photo: Instagram/Terence Crawford Terence Crawford , a top name in boxing, isn't ready to stop. He's aiming for more big fights to add to his legacy. Last year, Crawford made history by defeating Errol Spence Jr. in a much-anticipated fight. Many thought the match would be even, but Crawford dominated and won in the ninth round. This victory made him the first undisputed champion in two weight divisions during the four-belt era. Now, Crawford has his eyes on Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez , the super-middleweight champion. To fight Canelo, Crawford would need to move up three weight classes, but he’s confident he can handle it. Photo: Instagram/Terence Crawford On the Earn Your Leisure podcast, Crawford said the only person who can beat him is himself. "My mindset is always, win at all costs.  Make sure I'm in top shape and prepared for whatever the opponent brings. I believe that I'm Terence Crawford and nobody can beat me unless I beat myself." Crawford'
Read More

Shaq Disagrees With Shannon Sharpe's Ranking of Wilt Chamberlain

Image
Photo: Instagram/Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille O'Neal doesn't agree with Shannon Sharpe ranking Wilt Chamberlain as the third-best center of all time. On a recent episode of his podcast, Shaq responded to Sharpe's list, which placed Shaq as the third-greatest center. Shaq usually dismisses Sharpe's basketball opinions because Sharpe is a former football player, not a basketball expert. However, Shaq took this ranking seriously and made his case for being ranked ahead of Wilt Chamberlain. Shaq pointed out that while Wilt averaged 50 points per game in a season, he only won two championships. "The ultimate stat you're supposed to look at is championships," Shaq said. He also mentioned how injuries prevented him from surpassing Wilt in total points scored. Photo: Instagram/Shaquille O'Neal Shaq was also surprised that Bill Russell was ranked two places below Wilt despite beating him in two NBA Finals and eliminating him five times in the conference fin
Read More

Paige VanZant Wins Power Slap Debut With Two Knockdowns

Image
Photo: Instagram/Paige VanZant Paige VanZant celebrated her first combat sports victory since 2019 on Friday. The former UFC and BKFC fighter knocked down Christine Wolmarans twice to win her slap fighting debut at Power Slap 8 by unanimous decision. VanZant, 30, delivered her knockdowns in the second and third rounds of the three-round match. Despite a flinching foul that gave Wolmarans a fourth slap attempt, VanZant dominated the match. All three judges scored it 30-25 in her favor. “Honestly, it was absolutely incredible,” VanZant said. “Of course I wanted to knock her out with the first slap, but I’m so happy that it went the way that it did. I knew I could take a punch, I knew I could take a slap. That was really fun.” Photo: Instagram/Paige VanZant Before this win, VanZant had struggled since her 2019 UFC victory over Rachael Ostovich. She lost her final UFC bout to Amanda Ribas and then dropped two bare-knuckle boxing matches against Britain Hart and Ostovich. Recently, she fou
Read More

Caitlin Clark Defends Teammate Aliyah Boston at Press Conference

Image
Photo: Instagram/Caitlin Clark At a recent press conference, Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark made a point to include her teammate Aliyah Boston in the conversation. Despite reporters asking six questions directed only at Clark, no one seemed to notice Boston sitting next to her with a microphone. When the seventh question started with "Caitlin, you—," Clark interrupted the reporter and gestured towards Boston, saying, "Ask Aliyah a question." Boston initially declined, saying, “No, I’m good,” but Clark insisted. Eventually, reporters asked Boston the final three questions of the session, and she answered thoughtfully. Clark finished the game with 15 points, seven assists, and six rebounds, while Boston contributed 11 points and 14 rebounds. The Fever lost 89-77 to Seattle, making their record 7-12. Photo: Instagram/Caitlin Clark Clark’s gesture may have been in response to Boston's support during a previous press conference. After a mistake, Boston reassured
Read More

Jake Paul Responds To Nico Ali Walsh's Claim About Rejected Fight Offer

Image
Photo: Instagram/Jake Paul Jake Paul has hit back at Nico Ali Walsh's claim that he turned down a big-money fight offer from Paul's team. After his recent victory, despite fighting with a dislocated shoulder, Nico Ali Walsh, Muhammad Ali's grandson, made a bold statement. He said, "I denied a multi-million dollar contract from MVP Promotions to fight Jake Paul. I'm fighting real fighters tonight. I'm not part of that circus league of boxing." Paul quickly responded on Twitter, saying, "Lol exactly. His whole point here works against him. I’ve been trying to fight this fraud and now he admitted he ducked me but calls me a circus act. Gifted a decision tonight because of his last name. Shake my head." Photo: Instagram/Jake Paul Nico Ali Walsh now has a record of 10-1, similar to Jake Paul's, although their paths in boxing are quite different. Any potential fight between them would be challenging as Paul weighs over 200 pounds, while Ali Walsh
Read More

Conor McGregor Feels Deep Mental Pain Ahead of UFC 303

Image
Photo: Instagram/Conor McGregor Conor McGregor is having a hard time dealing with not fighting at UFC 303. McGregor was set to make a comeback against Michael Chandler at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but he had to pull out due to a broken pinky toe. He hasn't fought since his leg injury in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. The UFC quickly found a new main event : a light heavyweight title fight rematch between champion Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka. They also added a co-main event with featherweights Diego Lopes and Brian Ortega. Photo: Instagram/Conor McGregor As International Fight Week continues, McGregor feels left out. He tweeted about his deep mental pain and thanked his fans for their support. Despite wanting to return in the fall, UFC CEO Dana White recently dismissed the possibility of McGregor's comeback in August, September, or October. Read Next: Paige VanZant Wins Power Slap Debut With Two Knockdowns Source: Yahoo Sports  
Read More

Jiri Prochazka Reflects On UFC 303 Loss To Alex Pereira: ‘I Need To Evolve … or Don’t Fight Again’

Image
Photo: Instagram/Jiri Prochazka Jiri Prochazka knows what he must do to reach championship level again after his UFC 303 loss to Alex Pereira . Prochazka (30-5-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) faced his second defeat to Pereira (11-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in less than eight months on Saturday. He was stopped in the second round of their light heavyweight title rematch at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, putting him in a tough spot in his division. It's a difficult situation for any fighter to be 0-2 against the current champion, and this is now Prochazka's reality. Photo: Instagram/Jiri Prochazka The former titleholder issued a statement after UFC 303, acknowledging that he needs to improve his skills if he wants to reach the top again. If he can't commit to that, he is considering retirement. "Hello everyone – thank you for all your support," Prochazka said in a statement on Instagram. "Thanks to you, Alex, for the fight. You were better. And only one thing goes on my mind, that I need
Read More