Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers defeated the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night thanks to a herculean effort by new guard Bennedict Mathurin. But with the Clippers also playing on Friday night on the second night of a back-to-back set, is Kawhi Leonard playing against the Los Angeles Lakers?
The Clippers currently have a record of 27-28, winning 21 of their last 28 games after starting the season with a measly 6-21 record. The bounce back in the standings and into playoff contention has been led by star Kawhi Leonard. Given his injury history and the upcoming back-to-back set, everyone wants to know if Leonard will be playing against the Lakers.
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Kawhi Leonard's injury status vs. Lakers
Kawhi Leonard has played in 42 of the Clippers 55 games so far this season. He missed 10 games in November 2025 due to a sprained ankle suffered against the Miami Heat and another three games in January 2026 due to swelling in his knee from a hard bump he took against the Detroit Pistons a week prior.
He did play in the Clippers first game out of the 2026 NBA All-Star break against the Nuggets, but was dealing with an illness as he scored 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field. He received a huge boost from new teammate Bennedict Mathurin, who scored a career-high tying 38 points on 12-of-22 shooting in the win.
Entering Friday night's game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Kawhi Leonard is not listed on the Clippers injury report and is expected to play. It is worth noting, however, that head coach Tyronn Lue hinted at Leonard being on a minutes restriction and that the team will likely be limiting his minutes as the season progresses.
“He's on his minutes [restriction],” head coach Tyronn Lue admitted after Wednesday's practice inside Intuit Dome. “He's on his minutes so we just can't overdo it. Like I've said, we're smart about it. We know we can't just run him into the ground. As much as he wants to play more and do more, we just know that with that load, we just can't continue to do it night in and night out. So it'll be some nights where it's a little more than others, but for the most part we want to make sure we're safe with him.”
Kawhi Leonard has played in 41 games this season for the Clippers, averaging 27.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 49 percent from the field, 37.8 percent from three, and 90.7 percent from three throw line. His 27.8 points a night are a personal career-high for the Clippers star, who has been tasked with carrying the scoring burden throughout the trades and injuries they've had to deal with.
The fourth and final showdown between the LA Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers is set to tip off at 7:00PM PST on ESPN.
