Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers defeated the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night thanks to a herculean effort from freshman guard Benedict Mathurin. But with the Clippers also playing the second night of a back-to-back set on Friday night, is Kawhi Leonard playing against the Los Angeles Lakers?
The Clippers currently have a record of 27–28, and have won 21 of their last 28 games after starting the season with a mediocre 6–21 record. The climb back up the standings and into the playoff race has been led by star Kawhi Leonard. Given his injury history and the upcoming back-to-back set, everyone wants to know if Leonard will play against the Lakers.
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Kawhi Leonard's injury status vs. Lakers
Kawhi Leonard has played in 42 of the Clippers' 55 games so far this season. He missed 10 games in November 2025 due to an ankle sprain suffered against the Miami Heat and another three games in January 2026 due to swelling in his knee due to a hard injury suffered against the Detroit Pistons a week earlier.
He played in the Clippers' first game after the 2026 NBA All-Star break against the Nuggets, but battled an illness as he scored 23 points on 8 of 18 shooting from the field. He received a huge boost from new teammate Benedict Mathurin, who scored a career-high 38 points on 12 of 22 shooting in the win.
Entering Friday night's game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Kawhi Leonard is not listed on the Clippers' injury report and is expected to play. However, it is worth noting that head coach Tyronn Lue has hinted at a minutes restriction on Leonard and that the team will likely limit his minutes as the season progresses.
"He's on his minutes [restriction],” head coach Tyronn Lue admitted after Wednesday's practice inside the Intuit Dome. “He's on his schedule so we can't overdo it. Like I said, we're smart about it. We know we can't just drop him to the ground. As much as he wants to play more and do more, we just know that with that load, we can't keep it going night and day. So there will be some nights where it's a little higher than others, but for the most part we want to make sure we're safe with him.
Kawhi Leonard has played 41 games for the Clippers this season, averaging 27.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game, while shooting 49 percent from the field, 37.8 percent from three and 90.7 percent from the three-throw line. His 27.8 points per night are a personal career high for the Clippers star, who has been tasked with carrying the scoring load during all the trades and injuries he has had to deal with.
The fourth and final matchup between the LA Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM PST on ESPN.
