Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers return to action on Thursday night when they take on Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets inside Intuit Dome. It's the first night of a back-to-back set for the Clippers, who will also face off against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
The Clippers currently have a record of 26-28, winning 20 of their last 27 games after starting the season with a 6-21 record. The comeback has largely 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.
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)*
Kawhi Leonard's injury status vs. Nuggets
Kawhi Leonard has played in 41 of the Clippers 54 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.
Kawhi Leonard is not listed on the Clippers injury report for Thursday night's game against the Nuggets and is expected to play, but the team will likely be limiting his minutes given the back-to-back set and the fact that he played significant minutes during the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night.
Leonard played the final three games and 34 of the possible 36 minutes for Team Stripes in the NBA All-Star Game.
“He's on his minutes [restriction],” head coach Tyronn Lue admitted after Wednesday afternoon's practice. “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 In 41 appearances this season, Kawhi Leonard is averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.1 steals per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the field, 38.3 percent from three, and 91.2 percent from three throw line. His 27.9 points a night are a personal career-high for the Clippers star while the 2.1 steals per game leads the entire NBA.
Clippers and Nuggets are set to tip off their first game after the All-Star break tonight at 7:30PM PST.
