LA Clippers Injury Report (Dec. 23rd): Latest update on Kawhi Leonard and Paul George's availability
Kawhi Leonard might be a doubt when the LA Clippers take on the Boston Celtics in a marquee clash on Saturday (Dec. 23) at the Crypto.com Arena. The forward missed his first game of the season against the OKC Thunder earlier this week, with Amir Coffey replacing him in the lineup.
The good news for the Clippers is their star player has played 27 of 28 games this season and has been instrumental in their 17-11 run. His form and health have been crucial for the Clippers as they look to make a deep run this season.
According to ESPN's updated injury list, Leonard is listed as questionable with a hip injury. He missed his first game with the same issue and will be a game-time decision. As for Paul George, the guard has played 26 games this season and is not a part of the team's injury list. He is expected to be playing on Saturday.
What happened to Kawhi Leonard?
Kawhi Leonard has been dealing with a hip issue after he hit the floor during the Clippers' game against the Dallas Mavericks. At that stage, it was unclear if he was injured. While he initially told the post-game media that he was fine, the injury was deemed troublesome enough for him to miss the next game against the Thunder with a hip contusion.
LA will hope that he will be able to suit up for the matchup against Boston on Saturday and finish their year on a high.
George has missed two games this season due to an illness but has been healthy for the most part. Like Leonard, he has been effective for LA on both ends of the floor, and a healthy version of PG13 comes as good news for the Clippers.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George's stats vs Boston Celtics
Leonard averages 22.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 17 games against the Celtics. This season, he leads the team's scoring with 24.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. In his previous five games, he's averaging 30.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists.
George has averaged 20.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 27 games against Boston. This season, he is propping up 22.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. His last five games have seen him average 20.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists.