The Los Angeles Clippers were eliminated from the 2023 NBA Playoffs on Tuesday night by the Phoenix Suns. The Suns won their first-round matchup 4-1, capped off with a 136-130 victory as they won four straight games after losing Game 1.
A big reason that the Suns were able to go on that run was that they remained healthy while the Clippers battled multiple injuries. Los Angeles was without Paul George, who suffered a knee sprain on March 21st. After Game 2, they were also without Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard was excellent carrying the load for the Clippers in Games 1 and 2. He shot 54.5 percent from the field and 60 percent on 3-points, averaging 34.5 points per game while grabbing 6.5 rebounds and handing out 6.0 assists.
Hours before Game 3, it was announced that Leonard would be sidelined because of a knee sprain. He reportedly aggravated it in Game 1 but was healthy enough to play through it in Game 2. After that, the pain became too much and he was listed as day-to-day. Alas, the injury was much worse than originally shared.
NBA INJURY NEWS: Kawhi Leonard & Los Angeles Clippers Updates
The knee sprain that the team announced he had turned out to be a meniscus tear in his right knee. Once that injury was revealed, the training staff shut him down, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Leonard’s course of action will be decided upon in the next two weeks. It was a brutal blow for the Clippers, who showed they could hang with the Suns as long as Leonard was healthy. But, without him and George in the lineup, the talent gap was too much to overcome.
“It’s always in the back of your mind, ‘What if.’ It’s easy to say, ‘What if,’ because a lot of guys get hurt,” Clippers coach Ty Lue said Tuesday night. “It’s just been our luck the last three years.”
This season, that duo was on the floor for only 38 games. The Clippers were an impressive 24-14 in that span, as the team played at a high level when healthy.
NBA INJURY NEWS: Kawhi Leonard & Los Angeles Clippers Updates
Health has been the toughest opponent the Clippers have faced since putting together this duo. Leonard hasn’t played in more than 60 games in a regular season since the 2016-17 campaign. George hasn’t reached that plateau since the 2018-19 season.
Coming into the season many thought the Clippers were favorites to win the title as they had the deepest, most talented roster in the league on paper. But, when your players cannot stay on the court, your paper roster means very little.
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