LA Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard will miss Game 6 against the Dallas Mavericks (9:30 ET, ESPN) due to right knee inflammation. The same injury has kept him out of the team’s lineup since he last played in Game 3 of the series, which the Mavs lead 3-2.
Per Friday’s NBA injury report, Leonard is out for the Clippers and guard Terance Mann is questionable with a contusion on his lower right leg.
Leonard missed Games 1 and 4 of the series after missing the final eight games of the regular season with right knee pain. Leonard returned to play in the second and third games of the series but managed just 24 points in the two games while failing to make a 3-pointer and generally not looking sharp.
Entering Game 5, the Clippers had won both of the games that Leonard missed, while Dallas won both of the games in which Leonard played. The Mavs dominated in Game 5, rolling to a 123-93 victory behind the play of star guard Luka Doncic.
Dallas needs one more win to claim its first playoff series victory since 2022 and only its third since winning the NBA championship in 2011. LA is looking to avoid a second straight exit in the first round and third in the last six seasons.
Leonard averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists this season while playing in 68 games, his most since the 2016-17 season with San Antonio. Injuries have repeatedly slowed Leonard in the second half of his NBA career, and he has never played a full healthy season since joining the Clippers in 2019.
He missed the entire 2021-22 season after injuring his right knee during the 2021 playoffs and requiring major surgery. The Clippers advanced to their only Western Conference Finals in franchise history that spring, but Leonard missed the entire season.
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