Is Kawhi Leonard playing tonight vs Lakers? Kawhi Leonard injury update

With Paul George and Kawhi Leonard on the court, the Los Angeles Clippers will take on the LA Lakers – the 2020 NBA champions. The Clippers, led by their George and Leonard duo, are aiming for a deeper playoff run this season, and have already qualified for the playoffs. The Lakers, on their end, might have to play the play-in tournament.

Kawhi Leonard injury update: Is Kawhi Leonard playing tonight?

As of now, Kawhi Leonard is listed as available for the upcoming clash vs the Lakers. While Leonard will be playing, the team will be playing without Serge Ibaka and Amir Coffey: The game is scheduled to take place on Thursday, 10:00 PM EST (Friday, 7:30 AM IST) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. 

Kawhi Leonard return: When is Kawhi Leonard coming back?

Kawhi Leonard – who missed nine games because of his sore right foot – has been playing through his injury this season. “Yeah, I’ve been dealing," Leonard said while speaking after the Clippers game vs the Denver Nuggets. He added that it was not something that happened to him during that game. "But I’ll be all right. I’ve been through situations like this before". 

While a Clippers playoff spot is now secured, the team needs Kawhi Leonard and Paul Goerge to be healthy during the postseason. The two players – irrespective of the team's opponents – need to be on the court for the team. With Leonard now back in the lineup, the team should have ample time to work on themselves, the star player picking up the necessary momentum. 

❌ Hand fitting into pocket
✅ Hand fitting in new Twitter crop pic.twitter.com/9xjEKWmVlE

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers)

On the other hand, the Lakers will be playing without James, who is currently out with a sore right ankle. He was previously out due to a high ankle sprain, and will now miss crucial games as the Lakers fight for their playoff spot. “We’ll see. It’s not an ideal situation,” Vogel said. "Ideally, he’s 100% and has 10 games to get his legs and timing under him. We’re not going to have that situation. So we’re going to make the best of it".

Remaining Clippers schedule

• LA Clippers vs New York Knicks – Sunday, 9 May, 3:30 PM EST (Monday, 10 May, 1:00 AM IST)
• Toronto Raptors at LA Clippers – Tuesday, May 11, 7:30 PM EST (Wednesday, May 12, 5:00 AM IST)
• Charlotte Hornets at LA Clippers – Thursday, May 13, 7:00 PM EST (Friday, May 14, 4:30 AM IST)
• Houston Rockets at LA Clippers – Friday, May 14, 9:00 PM EST (Thursday, May 15, 6:30 AM IST)
• Oklahoma City Thunder at LA Clippers – Saturday, May 15, TBD (Sunday, May 16, TBD)

(Image credits: AP)