Kawhi Leonard nets 6 factors in 25 minutes of Clippers return

“Simply rehabbing, preparing,” Leonard stated of what he was going by way of since experiencing stiffness in his surgically repaired proper knee on Oct. 25. “I am not going to elucidate it as a result of I am not a physician, and no person in right here is one. So simply getting again, able to get on the ground.”

Enjoying along 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 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 Sport 4 of the second spherical in opposition to Utah on June 14, 2021, will likely be an extended course of.

“Like I stated earlier than, firstly of the season, it is going to be an extended journey,” Leonard stated. “ACL restoration is not only one yr. All people thinks that, nevertheless it’s a two-year course of, so I do know that and I’ll hold going and going by way of the method.”

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

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

However Leonard nonetheless made a major influence — he was a plus-26 on the ground.

“I simply attempt to remind him that he is Kawhi Leonard,” stated level guard Reggie Jackson, who had 23 factors. “That he is particular. He is among the best to ever play his sport, and we acquired 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 stated 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 journey 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 sport at Oklahoma Metropolis on Oct. 25.

Coach Tyronn Lue stated he needed to begin Leonard as a result of he didn’t like the method of bringing Leonard off the bench halfway by way of 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 stated of his desire to begin or come off the bench. “T-Lue needed me to begin the video games and get us getting into a circulation. 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 sport motion in virtually a month.

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