Detroit Pistons Seem Unlikely to Clippers’ Face Kawhi Leonard

There was a suggestion Kawhi Leonard could miss the Clippers' matchup against the Pistons.

Feb 2, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) dribbles defended by Detroit Pistons forward Kevin Knox II (24) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The West Coast road trip will continue on Wednesday night for the Detroit Pistons. Next up, the Pistons are set to face the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome for the first time this season. On LA’s side, they could miss their key forward Kawhi Leonard.

On Tuesday night, the Clippers closed out their long road trip with a matchup against the Phoenix Suns. Leonard was on the court for the fourth straight game.

The veteran forward checked in for nearly 37 minutes, producing 21 points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block. He shot 9-20 from the field and went 1-6 from three. The Clippers collected a two-point loss, marking it their third in a row.

Leonard finished Tuesday’s game without any setbacks, but a pregame comment from LA head coach Tyronn Lue suggested Leonard could get the night off against the Pistons.

via @FlyByKnite: Tyronn Lue reiterated before tonight's game that Kawhi Leonard is still not playing in back-to-backs yet, so you can figure that Leonard will not be playing tomorrow at home against Detroit.

Tyronn Lue reiterated before tonight's game that Kawhi Leonard is still not playing in back-to-backs yet, so you can figure that Leonard will not be playing tomorrow at home against Detroit.
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) March 5, 2025

Since the Clippers tipped off their eight-game road trip, beginning with a matchup against the Utah Jazz, Leonard appeared in all but three of those matchups.

One of the stops happened to be in Detroit. Without Leonard, the Clippers fell short against the Pistons with a nine-point loss on February 24. While the Clippers won their follow-up matchup against the Chicago Bulls, they haven’t claimed a victory since.

Over the past five games, Leonard has averaged 23 points, six rebounds, and three assists. He’s been shooting 41 percent from three over that stretch.

While Leonard remains a game-changer for the Clippers when healthy, the team is still especially careful with his playing time, which could create another absence against the Pistons for Leonard on Wednesday.

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