NBA Playoffs: Kawhi Leonard looks far from 100% in Clippers’ chippy loss to Mavericks

Perhaps some 12 months sooner or later the Los Angeles Clippers may have everybody 100% for the playoffs. It actually would not appear to be that is the 12 months.

Kawhi Leonard performed within the Clippers’ 101-90 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Sport 3 of their first-round sequence on Friday, however appeared nowhere near 100%. He missed Sport 1 with a knee harm and was thought-about questionable for Sport 3.

The ultimate consequence was 9 factors on 4-of-7 taking pictures with 9 rebounds, two assists, 4 turnovers and a minus-4 score in 24 minutes on the court docket. He did not look something like his normal dominant self on protection, both.

Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue supplied some readability concerning the scenario after the sport, telling reporters the workforce was managing Leonard’s minutes on account of irritation in his knee. He did say Leonard could be obtainable for Sport 4, although.

That wasn’t your entire motive why the Clippers misplaced convincingly in Dallas, nevertheless it’s undoubtedly essentially the most regarding storyline because the workforce strikes ahead down 2-1. It is a acquainted storyline as he missed a lot or the entire Clippers’ playoff runs in 2023, 2022 and 2021.

It was a catastrophe sport for the Clippers, general. After holding the Mavericks to solely eight factors in 1 / 4 in Sport 1, Los Angeles yielded an unacceptable quantity of simple baskets to Dallas on Friday. It isn’t even like Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving have been cooking them. Each had off nights, combining to shoot 15-of-42 from the sector. Dončić additionally missed time within the first half with an obvious harm.

In the meantime, the Clippers’ offense was merely a multitude with 18 turnovers on the night time. Take out Ivica Zubac’s 8-of-11 taking pictures line and so they have been 24-of-59 (40.6%) from the sector.

And we’ve not even talked concerning the ugliest a part of the sport.

Russell Westbrook, P.J. Washington ejected in fourth quarter

With the sport all however out of attain, Russell Westbrook performed silly video games and received silly prizes.

As Dončić ran previous him on protection, Westbrook reached out and yanked the Mavericks star by the correct arm. It was clearly not a basketball play, and Westbrook made it worse when he shoved Dončić away as the 2 exchanged phrases.

It had already been a extremely chippy sport — these groups have a combative historical past over the previous few years — and it culminated in P.J. Washington strolling up and shoving Westbrook within the again. Westbrook circled and obtained him again, then was escorted away from the scene.

Westbrook and Washington have been each issued two technical fouls, resulting in computerized ejections. Westbrook completed the sport 0 for 7 from the sector with one level.

He’ll have an much more hostile crowd ready for him in Sport 4 on Sunday, scheduled for two:30 p.m. ET in Dallas (ABC).