Clippers' Big Kawhi Leonard Risk Backfires in Loss to Pelicans

The Los Angeles Clippers suffered their third straight loss on Wednesday night, this time at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans. Despite building a double-digit lead in the first quarter, the Clippers weren't particularly competitive in the next three quarters and fell below .500 for the season.

This was a particularly disappointing result because both Darius Garland and Kawhi Leonard suited up. Both All-Stars were listed as questionable leading up to the game, which was the first leg of a back-to-back set between these two teams. Garland has yet to play both ends of a back-to-back as a Clipper, and Leonard was dealing with an ankle sprain that kept him out of Monday's loss to the Spurs. Instead of resting, however, both stars started on Wednesday, but it wasn't enough to secure the win for the Clippers.

The worst part of it was that Leonard didn't look entirely comfortable. He was seen wincing throughout the game and was unable to get to the rim or the free-throw line. He only took six two-pointers and three free throws, significantly lower than his season averages.

Kawhi playing through the pain pic.twitter.com/pK7JeWE9gq
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) March 19, 2026

Kawhi Leonard Plays Through Ankle Injury But Fails to Carry Clippers to Victory

While Leonard gutting it out and playing through an ankle sprain is admirable, whether it was the right move by the Clippers is another question. LA is facing New Orleans again on Thursday night, and it's safe to assume that Leonard will not be 100%. Not being able to rest the ankle is going to make it difficult for it to fully heal. One has to wonder whether giving Leonard another night off and letting him play at full strength on Thursday would have been a better decision.

The same goes for Garland. The Clippers have been managing their star point guard's toe, keeping him out of one end of back-to-backs. Choosing to play him on the front end here jeopardizes his availability and effectiveness in Thursday night's clash.

The Clippers must be feeling a sense of urgency. Their lead for the eighth seed in the West has been cut to half a game. Finding the right balance between short-term urgency and the long-term viability of the team is important. Let's hope that the Clippers didn't put Leonard, and therefore their own playoff prospects, at risk by rushing his return. Whether he pops up on the injury report ahead of Thursday's tipoff should give us a better idea about where his ankle is.