With the Clippers and Suns hoping to maintain their championship hopes, the absence of Kawhi Leonard and Chris Paul is imminent.
In the first game of the Western Conference Finals, Devin Booker ensured that the Suns would not take a step back without Paul, leading the Suns to a triple-double with 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists to 120-114. Win. Paul George (34 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds) and Reggie Jackson (24 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) came forward with Leonard out, but they failed to bring the Clippers The team took to the finish line.
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The two All-Stars are not excluded from the NBA playoffs, so when will they return to the game?
The following is the latest news from Leonard and Paul before the second game on Tuesday.
Will Kawhi Leonard play against the Suns?
Leonard was listed as missing in the official second game injury report. The Clippers forward has never played since he sprained his right knee in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals.
In an NBA TV show, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that Leonard had been recovering in Los Angeles and the team regarded his injuries as a “daily situation.”
In 11 games in the playoffs, Leonard averaged 30.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game, shooting 57.3% from the field and 39.3% from the three-point field.
Will Chris Paul play against the Clippers?
Paul was also listed as the second game. According to Haynes, the Suns guard is currently in quarantine in Los Angeles after testing positive for COVID-19 last week, but he has no symptoms.
“They are very encouraged by how he passed this agreement,” Haynes said. “That said, they are not in a hurry… The Suns still don’t have an update on when he will be available-the agreement is a bit tricky-but they hope it will be faster.”
Through 10 playoff games, Paul averaged 15.7 points, 8.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, shooting 50.9% from the field and 44.4% from the three-point range.
The Clippers’ second injury report against the Suns
(As of 8:30 PM Eastern Time on Monday)
| team | player | status | the reason |
| scissors | Sergi Ibaka | Go out | Retreat; surgery |
| scissors | Kawhi Leonard | Go out | Right knee; sprain |
| Suns | Abdul Nader | Go out | Right knee; rehabilitation |
| Suns | Chris Paul | Go out | Health and Safety Agreement |