The Clippers announced that forward Kawhi Leonard will miss Game 4 vs. the Suns on Saturday with a sprained left knee, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
After playing in the first two games of the series, Leonard missed Game 3 as the series went from Phoenix to Los Angeles. Without Leonard, and already missing Paul George from the start of the playoffs, the Clippers dropped Game 3 to the Sun 129–124 and are now down 2–1 in the series.
Leonard went through load management all season after coming back from a torn ACL in his right knee during the 2021 playoffs. After missing all of last year, Leonard played in just 52 games this season, averaging 23.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.
During Game 3, the Clippers started Normal Powell in Leonard’s place, and Powell posted a team-high 42 points in 41 minutes of regulation play. That performance probably means Powell will once again get the start in Game 4 as Los Angeles looks to even the series.
