Kawhi Leonard's injury 'very deflating,' Clippers' Ty Lue says In Los Angeles, The LA Clippers have changed their mindset fr...
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Kawhi Leonard's injury 'very deflating,' Clippers' Ty Lue says
In Los Angeles, The LA Clippers have changed their mindset from one of confidence to one of uncertainty about their ability to defeat the Phoenix Suns throughout the course of the best-of-seven series.
According to Lawrence Frank, the president of basketball operations of the Clippers, Leonard was ruled out before Game 3 due to a sprained right knee that he worsened at the conclusion of the Clippers' triumph in Game 1 and played through in their defeat in Game 2.
According to a source who spoke to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Leonard's injury is unrelated to the ruptured right ACL that forced him to miss all of last season.
The Clippers put up a fight Thursday night but lost 129-124 to drop the first-round series to 2-1 with Leonard and Paul George (sprained right knee) out. Kevin Durant scored 28 points, six rebounds, and five assists, and Devin Booker blasted the Clippers for 45 points.
Every day, Leonard will be watched over and assessed. He is regarded as day-to-day because of the Clippers' fast turnaround before Game 4's 12:30 p.m. PT tipoff on Saturday.
Frank stated prior to Game 3 that "symptoms got worse after Game 2." "Clearly, we wouldn't have played [Leonard] in Game 2 if we weren't comfortable with him doing so. However, after the game, nothing changed for the better. They worsened. Therefore, we shall exclude him and sort of take things day by day.
Ty Lue, the head coach of the Clippers, stated that his team thought it could win the series after defeating Phoenix in Game 1. In the first two games, Leonard, who already has a stellar playoff reputation, was unbeatable at times, averaging 34.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.0 steals while shooting 54.5% from the field.
However, Lue said that he was made aware of Leonard's knee problem on Wednesday evening and was advised that Leonard wouldn't be available before the team's shootaround on Thursday morning.
Lue described the Clippers' loss on Thursday as "very deflating." "I think more so for Kawhi, because you have a guy who is recovering from an ACL, hasn't missed a rehab session, eats right, eats clean, does everything he can for his body, and works really hard to get to this point," said the commentator. After that, something similar occurs.
So despite all of his effort, it's difficult for him. I'm sorry for him.
Before the game had started, sources told Wojnarowski that the Clippers were already without George, who is most certainly going to miss the first-round series.
Frank claimed that George's recovery from his injury, which he sustained on March 21, would not be sped up by Leonard's injury.
Frank remarked that George, who has been exercising and shooting basketballs, "has made progress." But even if Kawhi isn't playing tonight, his recuperation time hasn't changed. He keeps working hard and gets better every day. Thus, day by day.
Norman Powell scored 42 points in an effort to stay up with Booker without Leonard. Despite having 30 points, 12 assists, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals, Russell Westbrook accepted responsibility for his team's six errors.
The Suns went to the line 46 times compared to the Clippers' 25 tries, which made things more difficult for them.
Westbrook added that after Leonard put forth two strong games in Phoenix, he felt horrible for not being able to play. In a 115-110 victory over Phoenix in Game 1, Leonard played 42 minutes and finished with 38 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
When questioned about the lengthy amount of time Leonard played in the win, Lue explained that the Clippers had deliberately built up Leonard's workload and minutes during the season for this purpose, adding that it was "what we've been saving up for." Until the final two sets of back-to-backs of the regular season, Leonard missed at least one game in each back-to-back.
Tuesday's Game 2 victory over the Suns, 123-109, saw Leonard play 39 minutes and finish with 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Westbrook remarked, "I just feel bad for him. He was most likely playing the best basketball of all time, if not the best in the entire globe. Just for him mentally, it stinks.
But it was encouraging to see him there [at Game 3] and interact with us there. We can perhaps observe his mood and determine what will happen next. We must band together, encourage one another, and find ways to make things happen if he isn't returning. There is a series. the first four. For Saturday afternoon, get ready.
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