The LA Clippers should attempt to secure their first trip toward the Western Conference finals without Kawhi Leonard in Game 6.
Mentor Ty Lue said Leonard stays out for Friday’s down against the Utah Jazz with a sprained right knee. Leonard could miss the rest of this series and more after he harmed his knee on a drive while being fouled in the final quarter of Game 4. Leonard left the game for great with 4:35 leftover.
Leonard rest of this series to Salt Lake City on Tuesday however then got back to Los Angeles in the wake of telling colleagues he would be out for Game 5, which the Clippers won 119-111 in Utah behind Paul George’s 37 points, 16 rebounds and five assists. LA leads 3-2 in the best-of-7 series.
Lue said before Game 5 that there was no plan for Leonard’s return as the team anticipates further test results on the knee.
For the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell (right ankle soreness) and Mike Conley Jr. (right hamstring strain) are both questionable for Game 6. Mitchell’s ankle has become progressively sore all through the series, and Conley has missed each game.
The Clippers are looking for their first outing toward the Western Conference finals after 50 seasons, the longest a team has abandoned arriving at the league’s penultimate playoff round among active NFL/NBA/MLB/NHL franchises, as indicated by ESPN Stats and Information research.
Last year, the Clippers had three opportunities to arrive at the conference finals yet blew a 3-1 lead and lost to the Denver Nuggets.
