Clippers Injury Report vs. Warriors: Will Darius Garland & Kawhi Leonard Play?

The Los Angeles Clippers squandered a massive opportunity on Friday when they lost to the Portland Trail Blazers. They fell to the ninth seed before the regular season finale, meaning that they have to win two games in a row in the Play-In Tournament to earn a playoff spot.

However, there is still an outside chance that the Clippers finish eighth when Sunday's games wrap up. If LA beats the Warriors and the Sacramento Kings somehow upset the Blazers on the road, the Clippers take back the No. 8 seed. How much the Clippers should chase that possibility is another question.

After Friday's loss to the Blazers, head coach Ty Lue said he wasn't planning on resting the starters in the season finale, per team insider Justin Russo. Lue added, "Anything can happen," pointing to the Kings' recent win over Golden State, suggesting that the Clippers will pursue the eighth seed regardless of how improbable it may seem.

The Kings have very little incentive to win. Since they are tied with the Utah Jazz in the win column, they can't afford to lower their draft lottery odds significantly with a win in the season finale. As a result, they have listed nine players on their injury report.

Darius Garland Playing, Kawhi Leonard Resting vs. Warriors

The Clippers, on the other hand, will seemingly try to get a win in Golden State. Darius Garland does not appear on the injury report. Kawhi Leonard was listed as questionable all day with an ankle sprain heading into the game. A few hours before tipoff, the Clippers ruled the star forward out.

Isaiah Jackson, who has missed LA's last seven games, remains out for Sunday's clash. He has recently said that he is hoping to return for the Play-In tournament, but the Clippers will once again be without their backup center in the final game of the season.

It's a good sign that the Clippers don't have any new injuries to report heading into the postseason. Leonard has been on and off the injury report consistently over the last couple of weeks, and this should be treated as precautionary. Leonard has mostly played through his ankle sprain, and we can assume that he is resting with the postseason in mind.

The Clippers will likely keep a close eye on the Blazers-Kings game. If it seems like Portland will take care of business easily, the Clippers will presumably not push their starters in terms of minutes. It's more important to keep the veterans, including Garland, fresh for the Play-In Tournament.

Golden State has little to play for as they have clinched the No. 10 seed already. But, they want to get Steph Curry more reps to get him into game shape, so the star point guard is not on the injury report. This alone could make the game a difficult one for the Clippers, but how much the result of this game will ultimately matter remains to be seen.