After looking unstoppable during the month of January and in the early portion of February, the Los Angeles Clippers have slowed down a lot since the All-Star break. Over their last 10 games, the Clippers have posted a .500 record due to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George missing games due to injury. Now, both superstars once again find themselves on the injury report ahead of Tuesday night's huge matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Clippers just defeated the Timberwolves 89-88 last Sunday. Now, they have a chance to pick up their second victory over the Timberwolves this year, keeping their hopes of securing the season tiebreaker over them alive. Leonard and George scored a combined 47 points in this game to lead Los Angeles to a win.
The Timberwolves have not been playing their best basketball as of late. However, they are still one of the better teams in the entire league. The Clippers have a golden opportunity to possibly move up in the Western Conference standings ahead of the playoffs with a win over Minnesota. This is why the status of Leonard and George for this game is vital.
Kawhi Leonard, Paul George injury status vs. Timberwolves
It always seems like the Clippers' chances of finding success come down to whether or not Leonard and George are going to be playing. Through the years, this team has failed to live up to expectations come playoff time due to their stars being injured. This season, with the addition of James Harden, Leonard and George have actually been available for the vast majority of the year.
As of late, both All-Stars have been battling through some minor injuries that the team has been cautious about. This has led to Leonard being listed as questionable due to left groin soreness and George being questionable as well due to left knee soreness. They both missed the Clippers' last game on Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks, a game they lost 124-117 at home. George previously missed back-to-back games at the end of February due to his left knee soreness.
Fortunately, both Leonard and George aren't going to miss some more time, with the Clippers giving them the greenlight to play, via Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.
Should George and Leonard be limited in some way in their return against the Timberwolves on Tuesday night, Norman Powell would likely be the one to see his role increase the most. Former league MVP Russell Westbrook is currently sidelined with a left hand fracture, leaving the Clippers without many options on their bench. Powell has always stepped up as the bridge between the starting rotation and the second unit, which is why his presence is so important to this team.
Even though the Timberwolves are without Karl-Anthony Towns due to a torn meniscus, they are still a dangerous team with Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert. The Clippers are going to need their two stars to be at their best in order to get what could be their most important victory of the season..
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