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The Los Angeles Clippers are getting both of their superstars back for Friday night's matchup with the Orlando Magic.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are eligible to play after exiting health and safety protocols, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.
Leonard and George both missed each of the team's last two games due to contact tracing. The Clippers split those contests, losing to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday before getting a win over a depleted Miami Heat team Thursday night.
Los Angeles (14-5) is second in the Western Conference, due in large part to the performance of its two superstars.
Leonard has displayed his usual two-way brilliance, averaging 25.9 points, 5.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals while shooting 41.9 percent from beyond the arc. The Klaw ranks third in the NBA in Win Shares and eighth in value over replacement player (VORP), per Basketball-Reference.
George is also off to a fantastic start after an incredibly dismal string of performances during the NBA restart last fall. The six-time All-Star is averaging 23.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists. George has 50-40-90 splits, including a career-high 48.4 percent from 3-point range on 7.8 attempts per game.
Will LA's stars have enough to beat the crosstown rival Lakers come playoff time? That remains to be seen.
The Clippers could probably use more scoring in the backcourt, and they have reportedly shown interest in trading for Detroit Pistons point guard Derrick Rose.
In the meantime, offseason additions Serge Ibaka and Nicolas Batum have each played a big role in the team's success. Both are building blocks, but LA's foundation is still built on Leonard and George, both of whom will be back in action Friday night.
The Magic are 8-11 on the season and have lost nine of their last 11 games after starting the season with an impressive 6-2 record.
