Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard sidelined by knee injury

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, who suffered a left knee contusion eight days ago, has returned to Los Angeles for treatment and will miss the next two games, the team said Sunday. He will be reassessed when the team returns.

The Clippers are currently on a three-game trip with back-to-back games against the Washington Wizards on Monday and the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday.

Leonard suffered the left knee injury last weekend while playing on the second night of a back-to-back against the Detroit Pistons and missed the game against the Toronto Raptors. It was the oft-injured star’s first missed game, snapping a 24-game streak, his longest since playing the first 27 games of the 2023-24 season.

Leonard’s latest issue is not the same knee that has been operated on multiple times and caused him to miss significant games, most recently causing him to miss the first half of the 2024-25 season.

Leonard missed the first 10 games of the season with ankle and foot injuries and the Clippers went 2-8. The team continued to spiral as Leonard was limited to less than 35 minutes for the first five games back in the lineup.

Over the past nine games, Leonard averaged 33.9 points on 49.8% shooting, including 3.4 3-pointers, 7.7 rebounds and 4 assists and made 93.5% of his free throws. His strong play is the foundation of the Clippers’ recent surge, winning 12 of their past 14 games and moving from near the bottom of the Western Conference to 11th place.

He has averaged 28.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals through 30 appearances this season.