Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard enjoyed one of his best games of the season Thursday thanks to 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting, but the Boston Celtics held off a late Clips charge to earn a 116-110 home win.

Leonard missed all of last season with a partial tear of his right ACL. He returned for this season's opener and played 21 minutes before taking one game off and suiting up for 21 more minutes in the Clippers' third matchup of the season.

However, Leonard then missed his team's next 12 games due to right knee injury management. He returned to the lineup on Nov. 17 and averaged 23 minutes over the next three matchups but then missed six more games due to a right ankle sprain.

Leonard struggled over his first eight games, averaging 11.6 points on 39.8 percent shooting in 25.0 minutes.

But he's looked far more like his superstar self of late, averaging 22.3 points on 51.5 percent shooting, 7.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 31.8 minutes per game in his last six matchups entering the Celtics game.

He kept the good vibes rolling Thursday with 15 points and six rebounds in the first half to keep L.A. in the game. The Clippers held a one-point lead going into the fourth quarter, but the Celtics were too strong down the stretch en route to the win.

Still, this was an encouraging result for the Clippers as Leonard continued to roll and L.A. went blow-for-blow with the team sporting the NBA's best record.

Twitter recognized Leonard's superb evening.

The Clippers are certainly happy to see Leonard on the court and thriving. Despite the loss, they are 11-4 with him and 10-12 without him this season.

They'll return to the court Saturday when they visit the Indiana Pacers.

Xavier Moon's game-winning jumper gave the Ontario Clippers the NBA G League Winter Showcase championship with a 99-97 win over the Windy City Bulls.

The G League is featuring the Elam Ending in 2022-23, and the teams were shooting for a 99-point winning score. Moon's two-pointer broke a 97-all tie to give the Clippers the victory.

Brandon Boston Jr. led six Clippers in double figures with 21 points. He and Moussa Diabate, who scored 17 points, had four blocks apiece.

Jason Preston stuffed the statsheet with 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Malik Fitts added 19 points and eight boards. Moon added 17 points off the bench.

The non-NBA and non two-way players on the team will share $100,000 in prize money after the big win.

For the Bulls, Carlik Jones' 22 points led all scorers. Ethan Thompson and Daniel Oturu scored 15 points apiece, and the latter also grabbed 12 rebounds.

The event is described as follows on the G League website:

"AT&T NBA G League Winter Showcase is the NBA G League's annual in-season scouting event, when all teams converge in one city to play in front of NBA general managers and player personnel executives from all 30 NBA teams. The 2022 event – Dec. 19-22 in Las Vegas, Nevada – will mark the 18th Showcase, featuring 31 games over four days spread across two courts."

Thirty teams (the 29 G League teams and the NBA's G League Ignite) competed in four regional pods to start the showcase. The winner of each pod plus the next four best teams by winning percentage moved onto the eight-team Showcase knockout tournament.

The No. 7 Bulls defeated the No. 2 Rio Grande Valley Vipers and the No. 6 Cleveland Charge to reach the finals, while the No. 4 Clippers took down the No. 5 Iowa Wolves and No. 8 Maine Celtics.

Darrell Bailey, better known as Clipper Darrell because of his love for the Los Angeles Clippers, was punched on the concourse at Crypto.com Arena after Monday's game against the Boston Celtics.

In footage obtained by TMZ Sports, Bailey appears to be in an argument with an arena security guard. The guard put up his forearm near Bailey's neck to prevent him from walking by, and Bailey swiped at his arm to push it off him.

"That's when the man in the red balled up his fist and swung on Clipper Darrell—connecting straight with the superfan's jaw," TMZ Sports wrote. "Darrell crashed into a nearby trash receptacle...and appeared to lose consciousness."

Lee Zeidman, the president of Crypto.com Arena, told TMZ Sports that Bailey received immediate medical attention and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and further evaluation.

"An investigation of the incident was launched which determined the employee's behavior to be a direct violation of our training and approved responses resulting in the immediate termination and arrest of the employee by the LAPD," Zeidman added.

According to TMZ Sports, the Clippers are aware of the incident. Bailey told the site he is on medication and has been suffering from headaches.

Clipper Darrell has been featured on several local and national talk shows where he speaks about his fandom. He told HBO's Real Sports in 2020 that rooting for the team became a lifeline for him after he was fired from a job.

"My boss told me I'd never amount to anything in life," he said. "You know how you get fired, you feel sorry for yourself. Went home, plopped on the couch, turned the TV on. The Clipper game comes on. They said the same thing about them, how horrible they was, how they'd never amount to anything. I said, 'This is gonna be my team.' We're gonna ride and die together."

Per his website, Bailey has been a Clippers season-ticket holder since the 2000-01 season, and he dons a half-red, half-blue suit on game day. He also "dances, leads cheers and taunts the opposing team" during home games.

The Los Angeles Clippers have gotten off to a solid start, opening the 2022-23 season with an 11-7 record. But adding another center to the mix is expected to be a priority ahead of February's trade deadline.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, "Clippers head coach Ty Lue and the front office are aligned in searching for frontcourt depth beyond Ivica Zubac, sources said."

He added that the team "will target a switchable center as an option for Lue to replace Zubac against zippier lineups, as opposed to running a full small-ball unit."

That likely takes players like Myles Turner and Jakob Poeltl off the table.

The Clippers generally play small once Zubac leaves the game, with impressive depth on the wing and players like Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris Sr. and Robert Covington who can play the small-ball 5 in a pinch. Moses Brown can also handle the duties at center, though he's been used sparingly to this point.

That depth wing could potentially be used in a deal to add more help at the 5.

Granted, the most pressing concern for the Clippers at the moment is the health of Kawhi Leonard. After missing all of last season with a right ACL tear, Leonard played in two of the first three games this season before stiffness in that knee kept him out of the team's next 12 games.

He returned from that injury last week and played in three straight games before a sprained right ankle, suffered in a Monday win over the Utah Jazz, sidelined him again for at least Wednesday night's showdown with the defending-champion Golden State Warriors.

"Just rolled my ankle," he told reporters Monday. "But I should be fine."

The Clippers are hoping so. Leonard has averaged just 10 points, four rebounds and 3.4 assists in his five games this season, shooting 42.2 percent from the field and 13.3 percent from three. Some rust was to be expected after missing an entire season, but L.A. needs Leonard to return to his superstar form if it is going to be a true title contender.

For now, the Clippers' depth on the wing has helped them navigate Leonard's health issues. But once he's healthier, it will also be a valuable resource to aid in potentially adding more frontcourt depth.

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard will miss Wednesday's game against the Golden State Warriors with a right ankle sprain, per The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania.

The 31-year-old played just two games at the start of the season before being sidelined by stiffness in his right knee. He had missed all of 2021-22 after tearing his ACL in the same knee.

After being without Leonard for 10 games, head coach Tyronn Lue finally provided a positive update.

"The first time he was able to get on the floor and play 5-on-5 and he looked pretty good," Lue told reporters. "Still have a ways to go, but that was the first sign of positivity of him getting on the floor, playing 5-on-5."

Leonard didn't return to the lineup until Nov. 17 against the Detroit Pistons. His durability remains an issue after last year's lost campaign. He hasn't played in more than 60 games in a season since 2016-17 with the San Antonio Spurs.

The forward has also been limited when on the court this year, averaging just 10 points, four rebounds and 3.4 assists in five games while shooting 42.2 percent from the floor and 13.3 percent from deep.

He had been one of the NBA's best players before his latest injury, earning five All-Star selections in six years from 2015-21. He won NBA titles with both the Spurs and Toronto Raptors, earning Finals MVP with both teams.

Los Angeles will continue to lean on Paul George until Leonard returns to full strength, with veterans Marcus Morris and John Wall also playing key roles offensively.

Los Angeles Clippers guard John Wall believes he and other veterans have been getting pushed out of the league by teams in recent years:

"I feel like I was on the edge of kinda getting pushed out myself," Wall said (h/t Paolo Songco of ClutchPoints). "If I wasn't a true professional last year and the Clippers didn't give me a chance, I don't know if I'd probably been here right now."

Wall did not play all last season while a member of the Houston Rockets, with the team seeking to make a trade that never occurred. After agreeing to a buyout this offseason, he signed with the Clippers with a chance to restart his career.

Through 13 games this season, the veteran is averaging 11.6 points and 5.7 assists per game off the bench.

The production shows what the 32-year-old can provide a team on the court, while Wall also noted veteran leadership is valuable off the court to "help these young teams as much as possible" and provide "guidance."

Houston prioritized playing time for younger players last season and finished with an NBA-worst 20-62 record.

Wall argues other veterans who are currently unsigned could also help a team, including Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Kemba Walker.

Walker averaged 11.6 points and 3.5 assists per game with the New York Knicks last season, but was traded to the Detroit Pistons before being waived ahead of the 2022-23 season. Like Wall, the point guard is unlikely to regain his form from when he was a perennial All-Star, but he could still help a contender as part of a rotation.

Howard joined Taiwan’s T1 League after failing to secure an NBA contract and put up 38 points, 25 rebounds, nine assists and four blocks in his first game.

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard urged patience as he continues to recover from a partially torn ACL suffered in June 2021.

Leonard returned to the lineup in Thursday's 96-91 win over the Detroit Pistons, tallying six points, five rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes. It marked his third appearance of the 2022-23 season and his first since Oct. 23.

"It's going to be a long journey," the five-time All-Star told reporters. "They say recovery isn't just one year. Everybody thinks that. But it's a two-year process."

Leonard sat out the entire 2021-22 campaign because of the knee injury and missed the past three-plus weeks because of stiffness in the joint following his return last month.

"Just rehabbing, getting ready," the 31-year-old L.A. native said about his recent 12-game absence. "I'm not going to explain it because I'm not a doctor, and nobody in here is one. So just getting back, ready to get on the floor."

The key question, which will likely decide whether the Clippers can emerge as legitimate championship contenders this season, is if he'll eventually return to his usual form.

In 2020-21, the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year averaged 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 51.2 percent from the field. He ranked eighth in the NBA in player efficiency rating, per ESPN.

Putting that level of performance alongside Paul George, who's tied for eighth in FiveThirtyEight's WAR metric this season, would give Los Angeles one of the league's best one-two punches.

Keeping Leonard and George healthy and on the floor together has been the biggest problem L.A. has faced since they arrived ahead of the 2019-20 season, though.

George has played 148 of a possible 242 games over that span. Leonard has played 112.

The former San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors standout couldn't guarantee it's clear sailing after his latest return.

"Like I said, it's a two-year process," Leonard said. "Everybody thinks it's a one-year process, but we don't know. We'll see what happens once we keep moving forward."

Led by George, the Clippers have managed to trend in a positive direction with a 9-7 record while waiting to see whether Leonard can get back to a more impactful level.

L.A. is back in action Saturday night when it hosts the 6-10 Spurs.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant is hopeful Kawhi Leonard will be able to return from his knee injury soon.

"He's an all-time great," Durant told reporters after Saturday's win over the Clippers. "He's been through injuries before. He knows how to deal with his body. He knows his body better than anybody. The league is better, though, when Kawhi Leonard is playing. Definitely helped, it was easier not having him on the floor tonight as far as we need wins, but would love to see him back soon."

The five-time All-Star missed the entire 2021-22 NBA season because of a partially torn ACL in his right knee, and he's played sporadically during the early stages of the current campaign as the team tries to manage his recovery.

"He's frustrated," Clippers head coach Ty Lue told reporters after an Oct. 31 win over the Houston Rockets. "He wants to be out on the floor and then not being on the floor, and then now he can't travel. He wants to travel, but the doctor said it's not the right thing to do right now with the stiffness and what he is going through."

When healthy, Leonard has averaged 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals across two appearances this season. He has not played since Oct. 23.

Getting the 31-year-old L.A. native back to full strength is essential if the Clippers are going to emerge as a championship contender. He owns two previous NBA titles, one with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014 and another with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.

L.A. uses a variety of wing players to fill the void whenever Leonard is sidelined. Norman Powell takes on the biggest role, but Luke Kennard, Terance Mann and Amir Coffey are among the other players who also see more consistent minutes.

Leonard and Paul George can be one of the NBA's best two-way tandems when both are in peak form, but that hasn't happened much over the past couple of years because of injuries.

The Clippers will be a team to watch if the bad luck with health dissipates at some point in 2022-23.

The Los Angeles Clippers dropped to 7-6 on the season with a 110-95 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, but the team isn't rushing Kawhi Leonard to return from injury despite its struggles.

"I’m excited to get him back whenever he's ready," Paul George told reporters after Saturday's game. "Nobody here wants to put added pressure on his return. His return is his return."

He added: "Like I’ve been saying, we got a job to do, and that's to continue to play ball, win games, compete. When he's ready, he's ready, but that's his timetable, not ours."

Leonard has been sidelined since he began dealing with soreness in his right knee just two games into the season. He has not played since an Oct. 23 loss to the Phoenix Suns, missing L.A.'s last 10 games.

The 31-year-old tore the ACL in his right knee during the 2021 playoffs and missed the entire 2021-22 campaign while recovering from surgery.

The Clippers were trying to ease Leonard back into things this year, and he averaged 21 minutes off the bench in the two games he played. He averaged 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor.

There's still no timetable for Leonard to return to the court, though he did participate in a five-on-five workout Friday. Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters the veteran "looked pretty good."

"It's gonna take a few more [workout] opportunities to get that in," Lue said when asked about when Leonard could return to the floor. "Then kind of reassess him to see how he's feeling after we go to medical and just kind of see if we check all the boxes."

The Clippers will be hoping Leonard can play as well as he did during his first season with the team in 2019-20. The five-time All-Star averaged 27.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 57 games while shooting 47.0 percent from the floor and 37.8 percent from deep.

L.A. will be back in action on Monday against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Leonard is not expected to play.