The Phoenix Suns took a commanding 3-1 lead over the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference Semifinals in Game 4. However, the Suns have been fortunate in many ways in the first round. The Clippers started the series without one-half of their superstar duo, Paul George, who is still rehabbing from a knee injury he suffered in March.
Amid the series, George’s co-star Kawhi Leonard also suffered a knee injury that has caused him to miss games 3 and 4. With their season on the line in Game 5, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue says Kawhi’s injury is “pretty serious,” increasing the likelihood that the team will have to stave off elimination without their two-time NBA Finals MVP.
“You can’t listen to the outside noise, which I never do anyway. He’s definitely hurt. It’s not load management where he’s taking time off. He’s shown in his past that he’s played through injuries in the playoffs. If it’s something he can’t play through, then it has to be pretty serious,” Lue told reporters of Kawhi’s injury via Tom Azarly of Clutch Points.
“We’re not talking about him sitting out because he’s load managing or he’s tired or nothing like that. it’s an actual thing. What the outside is saying, who cares? My job is to make sure we’re in good spirits. I trust the guys that we have on the floor now.”
Tyronn Lue on Kawhi Leonard:
“He’s definitely hurt. It’s not load management where he’s taking time off. He’s shown in his past that he’s played through injuries in the playoffs. If it’s something he can’t play through, then it has to be pretty serious.”
Stephen A. Smith Rips Kawhi Leonard
Lue’s mention of “outside noise” was likely directed at ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith. After Leonard got ruled out with his knee injury, Smith referred to the Clippers star as “One of the worst superstars this game has ever seen” on ESPN’s flagship morning show “First Take”.
“Kawhi Leonard should be on the list of one of the worst superstars this game has ever seen,” Smith said.
“That’s right, I said it. Because anybody that watches basketball knows I’m obviously not talking about his skills. We know the brother is big time. We know that as a talent, he’s a superstar. One who shows up, when he plays, I’m talking about in terms of his performance, performs in the postseason arguably better than he performs in the regular season. He is that dude.”
Kawhi has a long list of injuries dating back to the 2017 Western Conference Finals when he landed on Warriors’ center Zaza Pachulia’s ankle, which ruled him out for the series. In 2021, Leonard suffered a torn ACL that held him out of play for several months. And now, with the Clippers on the brink of elimination, Leonard will likely be the reason they suffer another early playoff exit. Smith says that as a superstar, Leonard is “unreliable.”
“But when you talk about a superstar that is unreliable, I want somebody to point me out somebody more flagrant than him. You’re load-managing him all through the season, all through the season, he takes every perk imaginable.”
Kawhi Leonard’s Sister Sentenced to Life in Prison
Leonard is not only dealing with angst on the court but off the court as well. Amid his injury recovery, Leonard’s sister, Kimesha Williams, was one of two women sentenced to life in prison for murder on April 22, which could have also played into the reason for him missing Game 4 and Game 5.
“A sister of LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard was one of two women sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of an elderly woman in a Southern California casino in 2019. Kimesha Williams, one of Leonard’s sisters, and Candace Townsel were convicted in February for the murder of 84-year-old Afaf Assad in a bathroom at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California. Sentencing for the first-degree murder convictions was handed down Friday,” ESPN reports.
“According to reports, Williams and Townsel went to the casino on Aug. 31, 2019, and Assad and her husband entered with a purse containing approximately $1,000 for gambling. When Assad went into a bathroom, Williams allegedly followed her, and Townsel stayed outside to be the lookout.”
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Clippers Gets Brutal Injury News as Suns Close in on Series Win