LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard sat out for the eighth time this season for the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night, and there’s no timetable for his return.
Leonard has appeared in just two games for the Clippers since the season began on Oct. 20. He’s averaging 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and two assists. He missed all of last season while rehabbing from surgery for a partially torn ACL in his right knee.
“We knew coming off an ACL it wasn’t going to be a straight line. We talked about it before the season,” coach Tyronn Lue said before the Clippers hosted the Utah Jazz. “The biggest thing is he’s progressing well. We’re just going to follow the lead of our medical staff. We got to be smart about the situation.”
Leonard didn’t join the Clippers on their recent two-game trip to Texas. Lue said Leonard has been working out on his own.
“He’s progressing and he’s getting better, so that’s the most important thing,” the coach said. “There’s really not a timeframe of when he’s going to be back.”
The Clippers have major aspirations to win the franchise’s first NBA championship and Leonard figures heavily in those plans.
The team was 5-4 and had won three in a row heading into Sunday night.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
