LOS ANGELES – Tyronn Lue and the LA Clippers have been hoping for a Kawhi Leonard return at some point during this 2021-22 season, but time is quickly running out.

The team played its 54th game of the season on Thursday, defeating their crosstown rival Los Angeles Lakers. During the game, the TNT broadcast provided an update on Kawhi Leonard, stating that he's doing more explosive workouts and shooting drills.

Following the Clippers win, head coach Tyronn Lue was asked about the team's continued strong play despite playing all of the season without Leonard and nearly half the season without Paul George.

“Well, I think the biggest thing is with Kawhi being out all year, and PG, not knowing what's gonna happen with PG,” Tyronn Lue said. “The hardest thing for players, when your best two players are out — when you hear Kawhi's gonna be out for a week or three days, you can muster that energy up, you can find a way to win games and continue to come in every single day and have positive vibes.”

That's when he dropped a little update on Leonard, saying he's probably not going to return this season.

“But the enjoyment I get from this team, we know Kawhi's probably not gonna come back, we don't know the status of PG, but these guys continue to keep fighting. Every single night. And so that's kind of how I had to play, that's how I had to make it, so just seeing how these guys scrap and compete every single night, just makes me feel good — that's the enjoyment I get from coaching this team.”

That's the first time the Clippers have publicly hinted either way at whether or not Kawhi Leonard will return. Throughout the season, the team and its players have remained reticent about Leonard's status.

When asked to clarify if Kawhi's not returning is a product of the regular season nearing its completion or anything of the sort, Lue appeared to backtrack his earlier statement.

“Yeah, I don’t know,” Lue said. “I mean, I’m not a doctor. But hope is stronger than fear. So I’m hoping that these two guys can come back. But, you know, you never know. So that’s all I got to say, man. Have a good night.”

The comments from Lue comes after Nicolas Batum went on a First Team, a French sports show, where he said the Clippers were hopeful for a mid-March return for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

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“We hope after All-Star break or beginning of March, they return,” Nicolas Batum said. “Before going on the trip Tuesday morning I went to get my COVID test alone, and I saw Kawhi sweating, training. So I don’t know if it will be this year or what. I don’t know, but I hope. If we get them in the next six weeks, we can play in playoffs. We have a base around the two players who are a good level.”

At this point, it's entirely unclear whether or not Leonard returns this season, and even if he does, what kind of shape will he be in?

The Clippers reached .500 with a win over the Lakers, and will take on the Milwaukee Bucks Sunday evening. That home game leads into a three-game road trip against the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks.