Tyronn Lue and the Los Angeles Clippers are preparing multiple Kawhi Leonard scenarios for Saturday's Game 4 against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns.
Leonard's status is in doubt after missing Game 3 with a sprained right knee. The team found out about his status just before Thursday morning' shootaround, and announced shortly after that he would be missing the game.
Head coach Tyronn Lue said he only had a few hours before Thursday's Game 3 to prepare to play without Kawhi Leonard. It's a quick, 36-hour turnaround before Game 4 is played Saturday afternoon, but it's given Lue more time to prepare to play without his star.
“I got a little time now to [prepare], yes,” Lue said.
When asked if the Clippers preparing to play without Kawhi Leonard, Lue said, “I'm preparing for both [scenarios].”
No update on Kawhi Leonard, says Clippers Tyronn Lue.
Lue adds that he's preparing for both a scenario where he does and does not play in Game 4.
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 21, 2023
“It's very deflating,” Tyronn Lue added of Kawhi Leonard's injury. “I think more so for Kawhi because you have a guy who's coming off ACL, hasn't missed a rehab session, eats right, eats clean, does everything he can for his body, works extremely hard to get to this point. Then you have something like this happen. So it's tough for him, for all the work that he puts in. I feel bad for him.
“Our team, like I said, our guys have been through a lot this year, the last two years. For us to compete to get to the point where we made the Playoffs, we feeling pretty good outside of having PG out, like I said, when this happens, it's a blow.”
Leonard suffered the sprained right knee during Game 1 of Clippers-Suns back on Sunday, April 16th. The injury was sustained late in the game, but Kawhi Leonard played through that. After a day to recover, Leonard played in Game 2, and that's where the symptoms of his injury worsened and he was ruled out for Game 3.
Kawhi Leonard has been listed as day-to-day moving forward.
"I just feel sorry for him. Probably was playing the best basketball in a while and probably the best in the world. Just sucks for him, mentally… If he’s not back, we gotta rally around each other.”
Russell Westbrook on Kawhi Leonard's injury.
(via @TomerAzarly) pic.twitter.com/WaKFny0ChX
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 21, 2023
Leonard started the playoffs on a strong note for the Clippers, scoring 38 points on 13-of-24 shooting from the field in the surprising Game 1 win. The Clippers star then followed that up with a 31-point, eight-rebound, seven-assist performance on 11-of-20 shooting in the Game 2 loss.
The Clippers will take on Kevin Durant and the Suns in Game 4 on Saturday afternoon. As mentioned, Leonard's status is still up in the air for that one, and the Clippers could certainly use him back.
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