The Clippers are preparing to move forward in the 2024 NBA Playoffs without superstar Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard missed the first game of his team's series against the Mavericks with a knee injury that forced him to miss the final eight games of the regular season. He returned for Games 2 and 3, but the two-time Finals MVP did not appear to be fully healthy.
The Clippers managed to tie the series in Game 4 without Leonard, but the Mavericks cruised to a 30-point victory in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead. LA is now on the brink of elimination and received another unfortunate update regarding its star before Game 6.
The Sporting News has you covered with the latest updates below.
MORE: Why Russell Westbrook was ejected in Game 3 vs. Mavericks
What is Kawhi Leonard's injury?
Leonard has been dealing with "knee inflammation" in his surgically repaired right knee since the beginning of April, per the Clippers. He missed the last eight games of the regular season and the first game of the playoffs as he tried to get back to full strength for a title run.
Leonard returned to action for Games 2 and 3 against Dallas, but it was clear he wasn't himself. He played a regular workload of 35 minutes in Game 2 but was unusually inefficient, with 15 points on 17 shots. In Game 3, he was limited to just 25 minutes and finished with nine points.
Leonard appeared to be hampered by his knee injury, and it turns out he was.
How long is Kawhi Leonard out?
Leonard has been ruled out for Friday's Game 6, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.
It marks the third straight game that Los Angeles will be without the star forward and considering the comments from team president Lawrence Frank before Game 4, it's anyone's guess when Leonard gets back on the hardwood.
"Lawrence Frank says he doesn't know when Kawhi Leonard will be back. He says until he shows all the movements he needs to make, that will be the timeline," Youngmisuk reported.
Frank called Leonard's knee inflammation "tricky," saying: "When you watch him play, it was very obvious that is not Kawhi Leonard."
"There are no assurances that he'll return in this opening-round series vs. the Mavericks," ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski added.
Leonard had been relatively healthy this season, playing in 68 games — his most in a single season since 2016-17.
The Clippers will need Paul George, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Terance Mann to step up and replace Leonard's two-way production as the team's leading scorer and top defender.
That said, Mann is questionable for Game 6 with a right lower leg contusion, per Youngmisuk.
Clippers vs. Mavericks series schedule
You can find the full first-round series schedule below.
| Date | Game | Location/Result | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| April 21 | Game 1 | Clippers 109, Mavericks 97 | — | — |
| April 23 | Game 2 | Mavericks 96, Clippers 93 | — | — |
| April 26 | Game 3 | Mavericks 101, Clippers 90 | — | — |
| April 28 | Game 4 | Clippers 116, Mavericks 111 | — | — |
| May 1 | Game 5 | Mavericks 123, Clippers 93 | — | — |
| May 3 | Game 6 | at Dallas | TBD | TBD |
| May 5 | Game 7* | at Los Angeles | TBD | TBD |
*If necessary.
