Kawhi Leonard nets 6 factors in 25 minutes of Clippers return

“Simply rehabbing, preparing,” Leonard mentioned of what he was going via since experiencing stiffness in his surgically repaired proper knee on Oct. 25. “I am not gonna clarify it as a result of I am not a health care provider, and no one in right here is one. So simply getting again, able to get on the ground.”

Taking part in together with his minutes monitored, Leonard began the primary 5 minutes, 47 seconds of the primary quarter. He logged one other 5:46 within the second quarter and 5:56 within the third. Within the fourth quarter, Leonard performed seven minutes however had to take a look at with 2:43 remaining.

The Clippers are thrilled to have Leonard again however acknowledge that it’s like beginning over once more as everybody adapts to the franchise participant again within the combine and ramping his minutes again up.

Leonard reiterated that his return from a torn proper ACL suffered in Recreation 4 of the second spherical towards Utah on June 14, 2021, will probably be an extended course of.

“Like I mentioned earlier than, at the beginning of the season; it is gonna be an extended journey,” Leonard mentioned. “ACL restoration is not only one 12 months. Everyone thinks that, however it’s a two-year course of, so I do know that and I am gonna hold going and going via the method.”

Fortuitously for the Clippers, they had been up 88-81 when Leonard needed to exit for the remainder of the sport after trailing by as a lot as 12 to the Pistons.

Leonard solely shot 2-for-8 general from the sector and noticed his streak of scoring in double-figures snapped at 177 straight regular-season video games, the third-longest lively streak within the NBA behind LeBron James (1,106) and Luka Doncic (180), in keeping with analysis by ESPN Stats and Data analysis. The final time Leonard failed to attain in double figures was Dec. 18, 2017, towards the Clippers.

However Leonard nonetheless made a big affect — he was a plus-26 on the ground.

“I simply attempt to remind him that he is Kawhi Leonard,” mentioned level guard Reggie Jackson, who had 23 factors. “That he is particular. He is the most effective to ever play his recreation, and we obtained the utmost confidence in him it doesn’t matter what the outcome was. We had utmost confidence in him it doesn’t matter what his stat line mentioned on the time. I do not care if he made his pictures. I do not care if he turned it over. He’s who he’s for a motive, and we’re gonna trip with him within the fourth.”

Leonard was beforehand listed as out for the sport, however his standing was upgraded to questionable at Thursday morning’s shootaround and he was declared good to play earlier than tipoff.

After taking part in in two of the primary three video games of the season, coming off the bench in each, Leonard skilled stiffness in his surgically repaired proper knee at a morning shootaround earlier than a recreation at Oklahoma Metropolis on Oct. 25.

Coach Tyronn Lue mentioned he needed to begin Leonard as a result of he didn’t like the method of bringing Leonard off the bench halfway via the second quarter for his first stint of motion just like the Clippers did in his first two video games. The design of that was to permit Leonard to complete the fourth quarter for an extended stretch and never have him sit too lengthy in between taking part in time.

“After I performed these first two video games, it was useless already,” Leonard mentioned of his choice to begin or come off the bench. “T-Lue needed me to begin the video games and get us getting into a circulate. So, earlier than I sat out [12 straight games] I knew I used to be gonna be beginning.”

Now the Clippers wait to see how Leonard’s knee responds to his first recreation motion in nearly a month.

“Like I mentioned, it is a two-year course of,” Leonard mentioned of whether or not he’s previous what held him out for the earlier 12 video games. “Everyone thinks it is a one-year course of, however we do not know. We’ll see what occurs as soon as we hold shifting ahead.”