The Los Angeles Clippers dodged a major bullet when Paul George suited up for their Thursday night matchup against the Denver Nuggets despite his hamstring tweak. Moreover, the Clippers would also have Kawhi Leonard back in action following his absence during their previous game due to a non-COVID illness. The Clippers may have lost three in a row prior to tonight's contest, but things were beginning to look up.

But their dreams quickly turned into a nightmare following a horrendous effort against the Nuggets that saw them go down by as many as 43 points.

Nevertheless, there could be something good that comes for the Clippers out of this horrible game just yet. Due to a huge 34-point halftime deficit, head coach Tyronn Lue decided to bench Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for the entirety of the second half. Leonard and George only played in 18 and 14 minutes, respectively, as a result. Thus, TNT color commentator Reggie Miller wondered whether this could mean that the Clippers' superstar duo could suit up for the second night of a back-to-back tomorrow against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“With no Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to start this second half, does that mean both are gonna play tomorrow? [
] All season long, Kawhi Leonard hasn't played in the second game of a back-to-back. But you're getting beat in the head right now,” Miller said.

In addition, Reggie Miller argued that the Clippers need to build chemistry to fulfill their lofty championship aspirations, and the best way to do so is to suit up for games.

“This is not the blueprint for the Clippers to be successful and win a championship because you need chemistry. And the only way you work on to build chemistry is by playing games,” Miller added.

Knowing how cautious the Clippers are with injuries, it remains extremely likely that Kawhi Leonard would miss tomorrow's contest. Leonard last played in a back-to-back set on April 8 and 9, 2021, and he is still recuperating from the Torn ACL he suffered in the 2021 playoffs.

Moreover, the Clippers could also play it safe with Paul George's hamstring, given that he has dealt with problems on the same hamstring earlier this season.

At the end of the day, the Clippers need to figure it out, especially when they continue to slip down the ever-competitive Western Conference standings.