After missing the final three games of the Clippers' first-round playoff series against the Suns, Kawhi Leonard has been diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his right knee, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports.
The serious injury marks just the latest complication for the star forward, who returned to action this year after missing the entirety of the 2021–22 season while recovering from a partial ACL tear. He played in just 52 games during the regular season, but helped power L.A. to the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.
In the Clippers’ first two playoff games against the Suns, Leonard averaged 34.5 points per game and managed to keep the series tied at 1–1, even though he was without star running mate Paul George. However, the Clippers ruled Leonard out for the next three games with a right knee sprain, leaving the team short-handed against a powerhouse Phoenix squad.
Los Angeles went onto to lose three straight games and was eliminated from the playoffs on Tuesday night in a 136–130 loss to the Suns, with Leonard watching from the sidelines.
