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The Los Angeles Clippers find themselves in a concerning spot during the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs as they head into Game 4 down 2-1 to the Dallas Mavericks.
After winning Game 1, the Clippers have dropped the past two games including a Game 3 that got testy between the two squads.
Los Angeles had no answers for the dynamic duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving and seemed to rely too heavily on James Harden.
However, the most concerning thing for the Clippers is Kawhi Leonard’s health as he clearly hasn’t looked right since he came back from his knee injury.
Leonard was forced to miss the final stretch of the 2023-24 NBA regular season with knee inflammation and it appears that it hasn’t responded the way both sides had hoped.
Despite the pivotal Game 4, Los Angeles decided to rule out Leonard, via Shams Charania of The Athletic.
“Clippers have ruled out Kawhi Leonard (knee inflammation) for Game 4 vs. Mavericks,” Charania reported.
Clippers have ruled out Kawhi Leonard (knee inflammation) for Game 4 vs. Mavericks.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 28, 2024
This is quite concerning as a healthy Leonard makes the Clippers one of the best teams in the league, but without him they have little hope of defending a Mavericks offense that is clicking.
Leonard’s injury history makes it hard to depend on him during the postseason and Los Angeles is now in serious peril of going down 3-1 in the series and facing the brink of elimination.
Even though the Clippers’ sole win came without Leonard, there’s no denying that they need him on the court if they hope to advance deep into the postseason and finally deliver on their promise to bring the franchise its first championship.
The post Clippers Have Made A Decision About Kawhi Leonard’s Status For Game 4 appeared first on The Cold Wire.