Is Kawhi Leonard Playing Tonight Against OKC Thunder? Latest Injury Update on Clippers Star (Nov. 4)

The LA Clippers have question marks over the fitness of Kawhi Leonard ahead of Tuesday’s second night of a home back-to-back clash against the OKC Thunder. The two-time NBA Finals MVP was hurt at the end of their 120-119 loss against the Miami Heat. He rolled his ankle on a late defensive possession that led to a Miami 3-pointer.

In his post-game interview, Kawhi appeared visibly concerned while discussing the impact of the loss and how his ankle was feeling after the game.

“I think the biggest turning point was that 3rd point shot that got us wide open when I twisted my ankle. That was a change in the game for me right there.”

The reporter then asked how he was still feeling the sprain, to which he simply replied,

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"Yeah."

When asked if his status would be determined in the morning, he said,

"We'll see what happens."

The star forward took on a heavy workload on Monday, playing 37 minutes. He finished the game with 27 points, four rebounds and four assists while shooting 47.6% from the field.

Kawhi has been outstanding and has arguably been the Clippers’ best player, averaging 24.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists over the last six games.

He’s yet to play both legs of a back-to-back this season. The Clippers must now wait to see if that ankle pain subsides enough to allow the 34-year-old to suit up. Any potential loss of his services could hit the Spurs hard, with so many games coming up in a short space of time.

Another Player Could Miss Action as Clippers Manage Injury Concerns

Apart from Kawhi Leonard, Bradley Beal is another player who’s expected to undergo a late fitness test ahead of the game. Beal returned on Friday after missing two games due to lower back soreness.

He played the team’s last two games, scoring 9 points against the Pelicans and 12 points against the Heat.

Tyronn Lue said he is uncertain about playing Beal in the second half of the team’s back-to-back.

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How to watch OKC Thunder vs. LA Clippers

The Western Conference matchup between the OKC Thunder and the LA Clippers is scheduled to tip off at 11:00 PM ET.

The game will be nationally televised on NBC/Peacock and the local channels include FanDuel Sports Network Midwest Extra - Missouri and FanDuel Sports Network SoCal. And for international viewers, the game will be available to watch on NBA League Pass.

Edited by Mervin LR