Is Kawhi Leonard playing tonight vs Suns? Kawhi Leonard injury news

Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers are currently on the cusp of elimination as the Phoenix Suns have taken a 3-1 lead. While many believe Leonard is healthy and ready to come back, the Clippers are not ready to let him play till he is 100% fit. Paul George is leading the Clippers for now, who seem to be troubled without Kawhi Leonard on the court. 

Kawhi Leonard injury update: Is Kawhi Leonard playing tonight vs Suns?

According to reports, Kawhi Leonard will not be playing the upcoming Western Conference Finals game. The game is scheduled on Monday, June 28, 9:00 PM EST (Tuesday, June 29, 6:30 AM IST) at the Phoenix Suns Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. Apart from Leonard, the Clippers will also be missing Serge Ibaka, out for the playoffs after his back surgery.

Kawhi Leonard return: When is Kawhi Leonard coming back

While everyone was expecting the decision, head coach Ty Lue confirmed that Kawhi Leonard will be out of Game 5 on Monday (Tuesday IST). Leonard is still working on his knee injury and did not even travel to Phoenix with the rest of the team. Despite his prolonged absence, Leonard is yet to be ruled out. He was injured during Round 2 and has been out for seven back to back games now. 

Kawhi Leonard (knee injury) is "highly unlikely" to travel with the Clippers for Game 5

The elevation involved with flying to Phoenix "wouldn't be good for his knee,” per @ChrisBHaynes pic.twitter.com/XeI5k0aMVg

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport)

“Just taking it one game at a time,” Lue said while speaking of the Clippers' come back. "You can’t focus on winning three. You have to focus on winning one. It starts quarter by quarter, especially playing on the road right now in Game 5. You have to take it quarter by quarter and try to win each quarter. That’s got to be your mindset". He added they cannot think about the number of games, and can only focus on tomorrow. 

While the Clippers are trying to maximize and sharpen their defense, Deandre Ayton's alley-oops and rebounds have given the Suns some edge along with Devin Booker's consistent performance. Booker had team-high 25 points last game, while Chris Paul scored 15 in his game back. Paul was out due to COVID-19, and has made a sooner-than-expected recovery and return. 

However, the Suns seemed to be doing well without Paul as well, his return only working as an added bonus. 

(Image credits: AP)