The LA Clippers are in the midst of a three-game road trip, currently the second night of a back-to-back set on Thursday night in New Orleans and the fifth game in a tough five-on-seven stretch for the team.
Seven-time NBA All-Star Kawhi Leonard returned Wednesday night after a one-game absence and played against the Pelicans. Leonard was previously unable to participate in Monday night's loss to the San Antonio Spurs due to a left ankle sprain suffered in Saturday night's game against the Sacramento Kings.
Leonard left the Kings' game in the fourth quarter and was later ruled out for the remainder of the game. Kawhi Leonard made a quick recovery in time to play on Wednesday night, but will the game be played again on Thursday night?
Here's everything we know about Kawhi Leonard's injury status for tonight's game vs. the Pelicans.
Kawhi Leonard's injury status vs. Pelicans
Kawhi Leonard was listed as "doubtful" to play in the Clippers' first contest against the Pelicans, and was eventually upgraded to available. The Clippers' injury report for Thursday night has Leonard once again listed as "questionable" for the game with a left ankle sprain. This is the second night of back-to-back sets after recovering from injury, so Leonard will be in high gear.
Just before the game, the LA Clippers announced that Leonard had been ruled out of the game. The franchise has historically had a cautious history with the two-time NBA Finals MVP, but Leonard has placed an emphasis on playing as many games as possible, especially when the team is fighting for playoff position.
Worth watching is that guard Darius Garland has been ruled out of Thursday night's game with a left big toe injury. He has not played a consistent match since his return and there is no reason to believe he will do so any time soon this season.
Kawhi Leonard has a bad reputation among NBA fans due to his unfortunate injuries, but he has played in both halves of nine back-to-back sets during the 2025-26 regular season with the Clippers, demonstrating his ability to stay healthy and produce at a high level. In previous years, the Clippers have kept him out of back-to-back sets due to serious injuries, such as a torn ACL that ended his 2021 and 2022 postseasons, a torn meniscus that cut his 2023 postseason short, and knee inflammation that caused him to miss the 2024 postseason.
Leonard has been mostly healthy this season and has played in 54 of the Clippers' 69 games so far. Leonard missed 10 of the 15 games due to a severe right ankle sprain he suffered in November. Despite suffering a left ankle injury against the Spurs, Leonard finished with his 45th straight game of 20+ points, surpassing Bob McAdoo and setting a new franchise record. Leonard scored 25 points with eight rebounds on 9-of-12 shooting from the field on Wednesday, extending his streak of 20+ point games to 46, the second-longest active streak behind Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“Passing McAdoo is a huge accomplishment,” Tyronn Lue recently said of Kawhi Leonard. "He was a really good player, great player, and it says a lot about Kawhi. When he's healthy, you know, what he's done this year is crazy. Someone asked the other day, 'Have you seen anybody do that in their 14th season, which is more than what they've averaged their entire career?' And I said, 'No, I'm not surprised.' Because I see the work he does every day. I see what he does every night to get on the floor and try to play. He plays as healthy as he is. And it may take him a long time to do so.
This season, the Clippers are 30-24 in the 53 games that Kawhi Leonard has played and 4-11 in the 15 games he has not played. They're also 0-3 in the three games Leonard has missed due to injury in the fourth quarter – against the Heat, Lakers and Kings.
Leonard is averaging 28.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.0 steals, while shooting 50.4 percent from the field, 38.3 percent from three and 89.8 percent from the free-throw line. 28.2 points are the highest in his career.
The Clippers posted a 34–35 record, turning their season around and going 28–14 since starting the season 6–21. However, they have lost three games in a row and could face a fourth straight loss when they take on the Pelicans without Leonard and Garland.
clippers injury report
The Clippers have five players listed on the injury report for Wednesday's game.
- Kawhi Leonard (left ankle sprain): Out
- Darius Garland (left toe injury management): out
- Bradley Beal (left hip fracture): Out
- Yannick Konan Niederhauser (right Lisfranc ligament rupture): out
- Benedict Mathurin (recovering from right toe injury): Out
pelicans injury report
The Pelicans have five players listed on the injury report for Wednesday's game.
- Trey Alexander (G League - Two Way): Out
- Hunter Dickerson (G League - Two Way): Out
- Bryce McGowens (fractured right little toe): out
- Dejounte Murray (right Achilles injury management): out
- Josh Oduro (G League - Two Way): Out
The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Clippers 124-109 in their last game on Wednesday night. Thursday's game between the Clippers and Pelicans is the fourth and final meeting between the two teams this season.
