Clippers Injury Report vs. Lakers: Is Kawhi Leonard Playing?

The Los Angeles Clippers need their superstar forward back for their matchup against their rivals.

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The Los Angeles Clippers saw their six-game winning streak come to an end at the hands of the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday. Playing short-handed without Kawhi Leonard on the second night of a back-to-back, the Clippers were blown out by the Bulls, but they have plenty of reasons to feel optimistic about where they are in the Western Conference standings. Following a 6-21 start, the Clippers have won 13 of their last 16 games to climb up to tenth place in the West.

And now, they are on the verge of getting Kawhi Leonard back. In their official injury report before Thursday's clash against the Lakers, the Clippers upgraded Leonard's status to questionable. While he may still be sidelined for another game, Leonard's injury is clearly not too serious, allowing Clippers fans to breathe a sigh of relief.

Kawhi Leonard Questionable, Austin Reaves Out for Clippers-Lakers Clash

Leonard missed the previous two games due to a left knee contusion. He was playing through an ankle sprain previously, and the team wanted to give him some time off to recover from both ailments. Star forward went home to LA from the Clippers' three-game East Coast road trip, and is now nearing a return. The Clippers went a better-than-expected 2-1 in his absence.

Before he was sidelined for three games, Leonard was limited to 30 minutes per game in his previous four games. Whether he will be on any sort of minutes restriction once he comes back remains to be seen.

If Leonard is to sit out another game, Kobe Sanders will continue to get the start, but the Clippers will rely heavily on James Harden to carry the offensive load. In this case, Leonard's next opportunity to return will be on Sunday against the Nets.

Leonard has been healthier than he was last year, only missing 13 games so far this season. When he has been on the court, he has been playing at an All-NBA level, averaging a career-high in points (28.2 ppg) and efficiency (63.3% True Shooting).

The Clippers also have the expected absences of Derrick Jones Jr., Bogdan Bogdanovic, Bradley Beal, and Chris Paul.

The Lakers, on the other hand, will be without Austin Reaves, who is dealing with a left calf strain. Reaves has already missed 19 games this season, and this will be his 14th straight missed game. The Lakers have performed admirably in his absence, going 15-8. They have no other significant absences prior to tipoff at Intuit Dome.