The Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard gave it a shot — two, in fact. He simply wasn't ready for the high-intensity basketball that this series against the Dallas Mavericks brought forth.

On Sunday afternoon, Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank addressed members of the media in Dallas, where he announced that Kawhi Leonard would be out for Game 4 against the Mavericks due to the continuing inflammation in right surgically repaired right knee.

“He's extremely disappointed and frustrated that he's not playing today,” Lawrence Frank said of Kawhi Leonard. “He wants to play, but it was obvious in Game 3 that his mobility was severely restricted. So organizationally, we just made a decision that he's out. When's he coming back? Can't tell you a timeline. I wish I had a crystal ball. Until he can show that he can make all the movements that he needs to make, that when he'll come back. That will be the time frame.”

Leonard suffered inflammation in his right knee after the Clippers' March 31st contest against the Charlotte Hornets. He missed the final eight games of the regular season as he rehabilitated the swelling in his knee, with the team going 4-4 without him.

He then missed Game 1 against Luka Doncic and the Mavericks, but was the team announced his return for Game 2 on Monday night. Kawhi Leonard played 35 minutes in his return, finishing with 15 points, seven rebounds, and four steals in the loss. With the inflammation seemingly in the rearview mirror, it appeared the only hurdles he needed to get past were the rust and conditioning.

The scene shifted to Dallas for Game 3, and Kawhi Leonard did not look good in that contest. He played just 25 minutes, including only 10 in the first half, finishing with nine points, nine rebounds, and two assists. In watching him, however, it was very clear that he was not moving well, did not have his explosiveness, and was ultimately not healthy enough to play.

After Game 3, Leonard admitted that his knee was not right and not where he wanted it to be, but expressed optimism that it would get there.

“[The knee] just didn't respond the way we wanted after the first game,” Kawhi Leonard told members of the media in Dallas. “But we're gonna get it right. Time will tell, but we're doing all the right things.

“I was pretty good first game, like I said, it didn't respond the way we wanted it to and tonight, it was either play limited minutes or not play and I wanted to be on the floor to help the team. That's what the results are. Frustrated that it happened to me this late in the season, but we're gonna keep going and we're gonna get it right.”

Kawhi Leonard tried to play through the inflammation in his right knee, and likely would've continued to if the Clippers hadn't stepped in and stopped him.

Lawrence Frank said the Clippers made the decision to shut him down indefinitely on Saturday morning.

“It's the decision we made for him,” Lawrence Frank added. “He knows, obviously, that he's restricted. He's obviously very aware of his body and what he cannot do, so even if he was to stand in the corner and be a decoy, he wanted to do that. Game 2, he felt fine, it was just condition, rhythm, timing. The following night, some of the swelling came back. We were comfortable with what the amount of swelling was. We obviously reduced his minutes and played him in a different way, but ultimately, even when you watch him play, it was very obvious that that's not Kawhi Leonard. And we have to be able to get him to a point where he feels like he felt in Game 2. The expectation is that he would progress, but it didn't work out that way, but he obviously needs more time.”

Tyronn Lue admitted this is a devastating blow for his team and for Kawhi Leonard, but appreciated him gutting out a few games against the Mavericks in an attempt to help the Clippers.

“​It is definitely devastating for Kawhi,” Tyronn Lue said of Kawhi Leonard. “All the work he's put in this year and the amount of games he's played and worked hard to get to this point and then to the place he wants to be in the playoffs and then to be hurt and not be able to be 100 percent and play the way he's capable of playing. It's very frustrating for him and I feel bad for him.

“But we played without before and so we can't hang our heads. We understand what it takes, what we have to do, how we need to play the blueprint and we prepared for both situations and so I just thank Kawhi for just trying to get out there and try and do what he can. But like I said, this team is prepared to both ways, whether played or he didn't play and so we're up for the challenge tonight and we will be ready to go today.”

Game 4 between the Clippers and Mavericks will tip off at 12:30PM PST. Kawhi Leonard will not play today, and it remains to be seen if he'll even play again this season.