Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard will miss his team's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday because of a mouth laceration, Clips head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters.

Leonard suffered the injury after teammate and big man Serge Ibaka inadvertently elbowed him in a 121-108 win over the Denver Nuggets last Friday.

He received eight stitches and missed the Clippers' 124-73 loss against the Dallas Mavericks last Sunday. Luke Kennard replaced him in the starting lineup.

Lue added that he isn't sure when Leonard's stitches would be removed and that the forward is considered "day-to-day."

Leonard, 29, remains one of the game's top players, averaging 27.1 points and 7.1 rebounds in his first season with the Clippers during the 2019-20 campaign. That season would ultimately end in disappointment, however, as the Clippers shockingly blew a 3-1 series lead to the Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals.

That team didn't live up to high expectations, coming into the season as title contenders. But with a new cast of characters surrounding Leonard and Paul George—players like Ibaka, Nicolas Batum and Kennard replaced the outgoing Montrezl Harrell, Landry Shamet and JaMychal Green—expectations were again high for the Clippers.

Keeping Leonard healthy is paramount. His history of load management is no secret, though the mouth laceration has now kept him shelved for two games (and perhaps more). Leonard's next chance to return will be Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Thus far in the 2020-21 he's averaging 23.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

With Leonard again sidelined, look for Kennard to step into the starting lineup.

The Dallas Mavericks absolutely smashed the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, 124-73, but Paul George wasn't sweating the blowout.

"It's not that big of a deal," he told reporters. "We got our butts whipped today, but it's one day. We wasn't ready today. We wasn't prepared. That's on me. So, we'll be ready for the next game."

George took responsibility for the loss, adding that spending the Christmas holiday on the road may have contributed to the poor performance:

In the grand scheme of things, a loss in the third game of a 72-game season doesn't matter much, especially with the Clippers coming off wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets to start the season.

But because the Clippers were considered title front-runners by many last season after the additions of George and Kawhi Leonard—and blew a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals—any poor performance is going to go under the microscope.

And Sunday's showing was historically poor:

To the Clippers credit, Leonard didn't play in the contest. It's unlikely it would have mattered given how poorly the team performed, however. Head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters after the game that the Clippers "didn't have a lot of pop" on offense or defense.

Talk about an understatement. Not surprisingly, more than a few folks were astonished by the beatdown:

The thing about losses is that they all count the same in the standings, whether by 50 or five points. George and the Clippers have to rebound after such a lackluster showing—it's not the sort of effort they can deem acceptable—but obsessing over it doesn't make much sense, either.

That seemed to be the message George was conveying Sunday.

The history of the Los Angeles Clippers franchise is fraught with some of the most unfortunate events in NBA history. 

On Sunday the team added a new chapter to that dubious list with the largest halftime deficit of the shot-clock era, which began in 1954: 50 points. 

The Dallas Mavericks completely overpowered the Clippers 77-27 in the first half. The Mavs went on to win 124-73.

Los Angeles, which entered 2-0, shot 9-of-37 from the field over the first two quarters, with only four players—Paul George, Serge Ibaka, Luke Kennard and Ivica Zubac—of the 10 Clippers played able to score. Starters Nicolas Batum and Patrick Beverly did not register a point.

Conversely, all 10 players that Dallas (0-2) used have scored at least three points, with Luka Doncic's 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists leading the way. The Mavs shot 58 percent from the field with nine three-pointers. Even with Kawhi Leonard out as he recovers from a facial laceration, it's a stunning performance from both sides. 

The Clippers were expected to contend for an NBA title this year under new head coach Tyronn Lue. That may still be the case, but Sunday showed how much further the team has to go to get there. 

FanDuel Sportsbook listed the live spread to LA +39.5 ahead of the third quarter.

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Kawhi Leonard will miss his team's Sunday afternoon game against the Dallas Mavericks with a mouth injury, and Luke Kennard will take his place in the starting lineup, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.  

Leonard, who required stitches after suffering a cut in his mouth during a Christmas Day victory over the Denver Nuggets, is someone who has grown accustomed to missing time during the regular season as a method of remaining healthier going into the playoffs.

In fact, the 2016-17 season is the only time in his career he played more than 72 games.

When healthy, the four-time All-Star is one of the best players in the league as a two-way force who can take over games with his ability to score from the outside, attack the lane and slow the opponent's top option as a lockdown defender.

He averaged 27.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game during his first season with the Clippers in 2019-20 and has responded with 23.5 points, 5.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 2020-21.

While Los Angeles doesn't have anyone else on the roster who can replicate what Leonard does on a nightly basis, Paul George is another two-way wing who can fill the No. 1 role if the two-time Defensive Player of the Year is sidelined following this setback.

Look for Kennard, Nicolas Batum and Patrick Patterson to see more time as well.

Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George isn't dwelling on the team's playoff exit at the hands of the Denver Nuggets last season.

Following a 121-108 win over the Nuggets on Christmas Day, George told reporters he "buried" the postseason disappointment at the NBA's Walt Disney World Resort bubble in Orlando, Florida.

"I kind of buried last [season], left last [season] in the bubble," he said, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "That did nothing. Fact is, this is a new season. A new team. New goals. New everything."

George added that the Clippers "are a ways away" after winning their first two games to start 2020-21.

"But I think you guys can see that we are getting better and we are a different team than last year," he said.

Los Angeles shouldn't pretend like last year didn't happen, since the nature of the team's downfall exposed issues that had lingered well before the NBA's restart. Addressing those underlying problems is what the Clippers need to do to move forward.

To George's point, though, there's no sense in allowing the 2020 postseason to hang over everything the franchise does. A new season—with a new head coach in charge, no less—allows everybody to start fresh.

Beating the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night before notching a double-digit victory over Denver is an ideal start for the Clippers.

Of course, the Clippers created a situation for themselves where no amount of success in the regular season will be enough without an accompanying run in the playoffs. That's the bar a franchise sets for itself when it adds George and Kawhi Leonard after finishing eighth in the Western Conference.

Failing to reach the 2021 NBA Finals will be considered falling short of expectations.

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard needed eight stitches after suffering a cut in his mouth late in Friday's 121-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

Head coach Ty Lue said after the game that Leonard is still being evaluated but he expects the four-time All-Star to be "fine."

"I didn't even see it," Lue told reporters. "... He's going to be fine. He got up and walked off the floor so he's good."

Leonard was bloodied after colliding with teammate Serge Ibaka with around six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. He remained on the court for a few moments before being taken to the locker room.

He was ruled out for the remainder of the game shortly after. 

Leonard had 21 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals in 30 minutes prior to exiting.

Leonard missing time as he manages his workload has become the norm throughout much of his career, and he has never appeared in more than 74 games in a single season.

He played 60 games in 2018-19 with the Toronto Raptors, though that load management didn't stop him from leading the Raptors to a championship as arguably the best two-way player in the league who can take over a game at a moment's notice on either end of the floor.

In his first season in L.A., which was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, Leonard played in 57 of the team's 72 regular-season games. However, the Clippers disappointed in the end, losing in the second round of the playoffs.

His presence is a primary reason L.A. is on the realistic shortlist of championship contenders again, and it is difficult to envision it winning the Larry O'Brien Trophy if he is not on the floor.

Look for Paul George to anchor the offense from the wing should Leonard miss time. The combination of Lou Williams, Luke Kennard, Marcus Morris Sr., Patrick Patterson and Nicolas Batum will likely play more minutes as well.

Next up, Los Angeles hosts the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Doc Rivers acknowledged Kawhi Leonard and Paul George received extra perks with the Los Angeles Clippers compared to the rest of the roster, but it apparently wasn't his idea.

"A lot of it is true," Rivers told Jackie MacMullan of ESPN. "There was special treatment, but what people don't understand is I was the guy who didn't like it and was fighting it."

According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Leonard and George each had personal security guards, power over the team's practice schedule and could pick when they played in games.

Despite the addition of the two All-Stars and the rest of the team's bending to their needs, the Clippers fell short of expectations with a second-round playoff exit last season. Rivers was fired before he found a new home with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Tyronn Lue took over as the Clippers coach after he worked as an assistant with the team last year, but Buha and Joe Vardon of The Athletic reported it was "Rivers' show" last season.

George didn't deny the preferential treatment when asked about it after Tuesday's win over the Los Angeles Lakers:

"The dudes that put in the work, that built themselves up to be where they're at, it's a reason they get to that level," George said. "They know what they need and they know what makes them play at a high level."

Rivers also indicated the different treatment for stars isn't necessarily a problem in the NBA.

"The goal on every team is to find a group of guys who have figured out how to win—or at least some of them," the coach added. "If they are the right ones, they don't give a s--t what anyone else does. They don't get caught up in all the crap.

"The Lakers are a great example. Clearly LeBron and AD got different treatment, but the guys around them said: 'Who cares? As long as we win.'

Rivers also has two All-Stars in Philadelphia, with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons in tow. His challenge will be keeping the top players happy while avoiding any potential chemistry issues.

Following the Los Angeles Clippers' 116-109 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, Paul George was asked about a recent report that the team's star players received preferential treatment last season. 

George said that players "that put in the work … It's a reason they get to that level."

As the Clippers tried to turn the page to the new season, there were still lingering questions about what went wrong for the team that was supposed to be the darlings of the NBA in 2019-20.

There had been concerns about a lack of chemistry throughout the year, but it took blowing a 3-1 playoff series lead to the Denver Nuggets in the second round to fully manifest. 

Per Jovan Buha of The Athletic, some Clippers players were unhappy with the perks given to Kawhi Leonard and, especially, George in their first season with the organization. 

"George, while a perennial All-Star and All-NBA candidate, didn't carry the same cachet with his teammates (as Leonard)," Buha wrote. "There was a sentiment among certain teammates of, 'What have you accomplished in the playoffs?' multiple league sources said."

George did have the best season of his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2018-19. The six-time All-Star finished third in NBA MVP voting during the regular season, but he shot 43.6 percent from the field in the Thunder's first-round playoff loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. 

Postseason shortcomings have followed George around for years. Last season was the first time since 2014 his team made it out of the first round. The 30-year-old had 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting in the Clippers' Game 7 loss to Denver. 

Regardless of what George does during the regular season, he will always be judged by what happens in the postseason by virtue of playing on a team capable of competing for a championship. 

After he was held out for all of Los Angeles Clippers' preseason games, small forward Marcus Morris Sr. will miss the team's season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday because of soreness in his right knee, according to Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times.

Morris signed with the New York Knicks as a free agent in July 2019 after backing out of a verbal agreement with the San Antonio Spurs. He spent the previous two years with the Boston Celtics after stints with the Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns and Detroit Pistons.

New York traded him to the Clippers ahead of the 2020 NBA trade deadline after he made just 43 appearances for the organization.

The 31-year-old Philadelphia native has remained mostly durable in recent years. He missed 28 games during the 2017-18 campaign because of a lingering knee injury, but otherwise he sat out no more than 10 contests over the past six seasons.

L.A. will probably use a committee approach to pick up the extra minutes behind Serge Ibaka and Ivica Zubac in its frontcourt rotation. Patrick Patterson, Mfiondu Kabengele and Daniel Oturu are all options to get some extra run for the Clips.

Ultimately, Morris was acquired by the Clippers for the value he'll provide during the team's playoff runs. He should slot right back into his usual role once he's back to full strength.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is giving the Los Angeles Clippers the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the league's most recent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Kawhi Leonard's arrival.

Silver said Monday on ESPN's First Take that he has "no reason to believe, based on what's alleged so far, that there's anything inappropriate that took place."

TMZ Sports reported Dec. 14 that Johnny Wilkes had filed a $2.5 million lawsuit against Clippers executive Jerry West, claiming he was supposed to be paid for helping steer Leonard to the franchise during the 2019 offseason.

Wilkes said in the suit he helped West get in contact with Leonard's uncle, Dennis Robertson. He also allegedly provided a "specific game plan" to West regarding the Clippers' free-agent pitch to the two-time NBA Finals MVP.

West issued a response to TMZ Sports: "I am not aware of any lawsuit being filed against me and I deny engaging in any improper conduct in connection with the signing of Kawhi Leonard."

The Athletic's Sam Amick reported the NBA had opened an investigation in the wake of the TMZ Sports story.

The Clippers said they were "fully cooperating" with the league and that Wilkes' lawsuit "is replete with inaccuracies."

Amick first reported in December 2019 the NBA had investigated the Clippers after receiving complaints about Robertson requesting "improper benefits" during the free-agency process:

"Sources say the league was told that Robertson asked team officials for part ownership of the team, a private plane that would be available at all times, a house and  — last but certainly not least — a guaranteed amount of off-court endorsement money that they could expect if Leonard played for their team. All of those items, to be clear, would fall well outside the confines of the league’s collective bargaining agreement."

According to Amick, sources said Robertson made the demands to representatives of the Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors, leading some to wonder how the Clippers responded to the situation.

The NBA didn't find anything that implicated the Clippers.

Leonard signed a three-year, $103.1 million contract with the team. However, he told reporters Monday his "best decision" is probably declining his player option in the third year, which would allow him to become a free agent again in 2021.