NBA playoffs: Kawhi Leonard ruled out for Game 4, will miss 2nd straight game

The Los Angeles Clippers nearly shocked the Phoenix Suns in Game 3 without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. They'll have to try again Saturday.

Leonard has been ruled out for Game 4 and will miss a second straight game with a right knee sprain.

The Clippers currently face a 2-1 deficit in their first-round series against the Suns after losing Game 3 129-124. They were already reported to be expecting George to miss the entire series, but a multi-game Leonard absence represents a massive obstacle for a team whose recent postseason failures have been defined more by who's not playing than who is.

Leonard entered this season still recovering from the right ACL tear that ended his postseason in 2021 and caused him to miss the entire 2021-22 season. He missed several games early in the season, but hadn't missed consecutive games since Dec. 3.

So far, this knee sprain has been reported to be unrelated to the ACL tear, but you couldn't blame the Clippers for worrying at this point.

Leonard had been stellar in the first two games of the series, having averaged 34.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game while 24-of-44 from the field and 6-of-10 from 3-point range. His 38 points in Game 1 helped the Clippers hand the Suns their first loss with Kevin Durant in the lineup since acquiring him in a midseason trade, but now Leonard's injury puts them in a familiar limbo.

Without Leonard and George, the Clippers were led by 42 points from Norman Powell and 30 points, 12 assists and six rebounds from Russell Westbrook.

Game 4 is scheduled for Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PT at Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena.