Kawhi Leonard Exits With Left Ankle Sprain After Setting Clippers Scoring Record
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Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard left Saturday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings with a left ankle sprain, shortly after establishing a new franchise mark for consecutive 20-point outings.
Leonard scored 31 points before rolling his ankle while contesting a shot by Kings wing DeMar DeRozan with 9:27 remaining in the fourth quarter at Crypto.com Arena. He landed on DeRozan’s foot and limped off the floor; the club quickly ruled him out for the rest of the game.
Franchise record eclipsed
The 34-year-old’s performance gave him at least 20 points in 45 straight games, surpassing Bob McAdoo’s 44-game streak set during the 1974-75 season, when the organization was known as the Buffalo Braves.
Impact on the playoff race
Without Leonard, the Clippers were unable to finish a late rally and fell 123-116 to the 17-51 Kings, ending Los Angeles’ four-game winning streak. The loss left the Clippers eighth in the Western Conference, still chasing the seventh-place Phoenix Suns.
Status still unknown
The team confirmed the sprain but has not indicated whether Leonard will miss additional games. Last season he appeared in only 37 contests; this year he has played 53, averaging 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.0 steals in 32.3 minutes while shooting 50.1% from the field, 37.8% from three and 89.7% at the foul line.
Los Angeles owns a +4.1 net rating when Leonard is on the court compared with –5.9 when he sits. The Clippers host the San Antonio Spurs on Monday before a three-game trip to New Orleans on Wednesday and Thursday and to Dallas on Saturday.
Source: Hoops Rumors
