Clippers vs. Magic Injury Report: Latest on Kawhi Leonard & John Collins

Short-handed LA Clippers are taking on the tired Orlando Magic on Sunday evening.

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The Los Angeles Clippers lost more than just the chance of moving to .500 for the first time since November with Friday's loss to the Lakers. They lost John Collins at the end of the first half and Kawhi Leonard at the end of the game. Collins had a hard fall, causing him to suffer a head injury, and Leonard couldn't continue after suffering an ankle injury with four and a half minutes to go. The Clippers still fought admirably and had a chance to tie the game late, but came up short.

With Darius Garland still sidelined and yet to make his Clippers debut, LA can't afford to lose more starters. Unfortunately, however, they already listed Collins as out for Sunday's clash against the Orlando Magic with a laceration and neck soreness. Leonard's status, however, will be a game-time decision.

Will Kawhi Leonard Play Through His Ankle Injury vs. Magic?

Leonard is listed as questionable with ankle soreness on the Clippers' injury report on Sunday. Head coach Ty Lue had said that the 34-year-old forward was dealing with a sore ankle heading into Friday's game before "it got stiff on him." Only a day of rest will likely not allow the ankle to heal fully. So if Leonard were to suit up, he would have to play through at least some sort of discomfort.

The star forward is no stranger to injury management. The Clippers have kept his minutes around 30 minutes a game as he dealt with a knee contusion and an ankle sprain last month. A similar restriction may be in place on Sunday.

Without Collins, Lue will have a choice between Nicolas Batum, Jordan Miller, and Bennedict Mathurin in the starting lineup. Mathurin will almost certainly play the most minutes out of that group, but Lue may decide to keep him on the bench since he has been thriving in a backup role in recent games.

If Leonard is to miss the game, the Clippers won't have another choice but to start Mathurin and have him be the primary creator.

Fortunately for the Clippers, Orlando played a double-overtime game in Phoenix last night. Not only did they suffer an emotional loss at the buzzer, but they also had to play Paolo Banchero 47, Anthony Black 45, and Desmond Bane 40 minutes. Moreover, Franz Wagner remains out with an ankle sprain, and Jalen Suggs is questionable with back spasms. This puts more on the shoulders of the rest of the team.

Even with their own injury concerns, the Clippers will have the health and energy advantage over Orlando on Sunday. Whether they can make the most of it remains to be seen.