Kawhi Leonard returned to play for the Los Angeles Clippers after a break due to a knee injury. Despite his efforts, scoring 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds, the Clippers lost 96-93 to the Dallas Mavericks in their Western Conference first-round playoff series.
The Mavericks tied the series on Tuesday night. Leonard played for 35 minutes in his first game since March 31, when he took a break due to inflammation in his right knee.
“I felt good,” he said after the game. “We still have more games to play and more time to improve. I just need to keep trying to find my rhythm.”
There wasn’t a set limit on how many minutes Leonard could play; instead, Coach Tyronn Lue kept an eye on how he was feeling throughout the game. Leonard hadn’t practiced with contact before returning for the playoffs.
“The last couple of days, I felt great,” Leonard mentioned. In Game 1, the Clippers won 109-97 against the Mavericks while Leonard watched from the bench.
“It’s great to have ‘2’ back out there,” teammate Paul George said, referring to Leonard’s jersey number. “He’ll find his rhythm, and we’ll adjust our rhythm around him.”
Leonard will have a couple of days to get back into his rhythm before Game 3 on Friday night.
