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Kawhi Leonard Reacts to First Game Back From Injury
After missing over a year with an ACL injury, LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard made his return to the court on Monday night in a pre-season victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. While he only played in the first half, Leonard was moving well, putting up 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in 16 minutes.
Leonard was asked after the game how it felt to be back on the court, and said, "Just being able to put all that hard work that I did through the whatever, 14, 16 months. To put it to test against NBA talent, it was good. Just being out there with the guys, talking, I missed it."
While Kawhi admitted that it will be a process while he ramps up his game, the star forward was noticeably happy to be back on the court after such an extended absence. The Clippers will now head back home to Los Angeles, and the team will play two more pre-season games before their season opener on October 20th.
Leonard will likely make at least one more pre-season appearance for the Clippers, as these games are a great opportunity to get low-pressure reps against NBA talent. It has been a long road back for Leonard, but he is now officially back, which is great news for the Clippers and their fans.
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