Clippers Get Excellent Kawhi Leonard Injury Update Ahead of Pacers Clash

The Los Angeles Clippers have been dealing with a few injuries to key players. The most notable of them all was obviously Kawhi Leonard's ankle injury. Since spraining his ankle two weeks ago against the Sacramento Kings, Leonard has been hobbled. He missed two games with the ailment, and looked like he was playing through pain when he was out there. He was on the injury report for every game since then, being listed as questionable and a game-time decision for each game.

That changed on Friday. Ahead of the Clippers' game against the Pacers in Indiana, Leonard was off the injury report for the first time in two weeks. This means that the star forward will be available to play his usual share of minutes without any restrictions.

Kawhi Leonard Is Off the Clippers Injury Report on Friday

What likely helped Leonard in his recovery was the fact that the Clippers were able to blow out the Bucks and the Raptors in their last two games. The 34-year-old star played 25 and 30 minutes, respectively, allowing him to get some extra rest. If the Clippers unexpectedly struggle against the Pacers on Friday, Leonard should be able to play over 30 minutes without an issue.

This couldn't have come at a better time. It comes on the heels of Bennedict Mathurin and John Collins also returning from their injuries earlier this week. Mathurin had missed four straight games with a toe injury, and Collins was sidelined against the Bucks with an ankle sprain of his own. Now, neither player is on the injury report ahead of the Indiana game.

The Clippers are in a tight battle with the Portland Trail Blazers for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. This would allow them two chances to win one and clinch a playoff spot. Being at near full strength should give the Clippers a major boost in the final stretch of the season. When fully healthy, the Clippers have been dominating the competition ever since Darius Garland returned to action. LA has arguably been the best team in the league when Garland and Leonard are on the court together. Clippers fans should like their chances against anybody as long as they can keep the injuries at bay.

Besides Bradley Beal and Yanic Konan Niederhauser, who are already out for the season, the Clippers only have Jordan Miller on their injury list. Miller is dealing with back soreness and didn't suit up against the Raptors on Wednesday. Now, he is questionable on Friday. In his absence, Kobe Sanders should see an uptick in minutes.