Clippers' Kawhi Leonard says knee 'didn't respond' as hoped; status in air - ESPN

DALLAS — LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard said the inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee did not respond the way he had hoped after Game 2, and after gutting out 25 minutes in Friday's 101-90 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Leonard's status for Sunday's Game 4 is in question.

Leonard had nine points and nine rebounds but did not look like his normal self in Game 3 at American Airlines Center. With their franchise player limited, the Clippers unraveled and now trail 2-1 in the best-of-7 series.

Leonard was asked if he will be able to play on Sunday afternoon with less than 48 hours between Games 3 and 4.

«Yeah,» Leonard said. «Right now, I'll see [how it feels] tomorrow. But I want to play.»

Leonard missed 23 days with inflammation in his right knee and sat out the final eight games of the regular season and Game 1 of this first-round series against Dallas.

He logged 35 minutes in his return on Tuesday, finishing with 15 points, seven rebounds and four steals in a 96-93 loss in Los Angeles in Game 2.

Head coach Ty Lue said on Thursday that Leonard had come out of Game 2 feeling good. But Leonard acknowledged after Game 3 that his knee «just didn't respond the way we wanted» after his return.

«But we are going to get it right,» Leonard said. «Time will tell. But we are doing all the right things.»

Lawrence Frank, the Clippers' president of basketball operations, had described the inflammation as «unpredictable» and «stubborn.»

Leonard tore his ACL in the second round in 2021. He came back and then tore his meniscus in the first round last postseason against Phoenix, missing the final three games of the five-game series.

Frank said Leonard's surgically repaired ACL and meniscus in the knee were sound structurally