LOS ANGELES — Healing from a torn ACL could be a “two-year process,” he said. Kawai Leonard Back on the court, he started the first game of the season with the LA Clippers on Thursday.
Leonard played 24 minutes and had 6 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in the Clippers’ ugly 96-91 victory over the Detroit Pistons at Crypto.com Arena.
Leonard then did not elaborate on why he was sidelined for 12 straight games after starting the season playing off the bench in two of the Clippers’ first three games.
“I’m just rehabilitating and getting ready,” Leonard said of what he’s been through since suffering a stiff surgically repaired right knee on Oct. 25. Here he is one. Now come back and get ready to go to bed. “
Leonard played watching his time, starting the first 5 minutes and 47 seconds of the first quarter. He recorded another 5:46 in the 2nd quarter and 5:56 in the 3rd quarter. In the fourth quarter, Leonard played seven minutes, but he had to check out with 2:43 remaining.
The Clippers are thrilled to have Leonard back, but it’s kind of starting over as everyone adjusts to having a franchise player back on the team and increasing his minutes. I admit that
Leonard has reiterated that he will have a long road to come back from the right ACL tear he sustained in Game 4 of the second round against Utah on June 14, 2021.
“Like I said before, it’s going to be a long road at the beginning of the season,” Leonard said. It’s a process, so I know it and I intend to continue this process.”
Fortunately for the Clippers, they were leading 88-81 when Leonard had to exit 12 ahead of the Pistons.
Leonard shot only 2-for-8 overall from the field, and his double-digit scoring streak was the 177th straight game in the regular season. lebron james (1,106) and Luka Doncic (180), according to a survey by ESPN Stats & Information. The last time Leonard failed to score in double figures was against the Clippers on December 18, 2017.
But Leonard still made a big impact. He was plus 26 on the floor.
“I’m just trying to remind him that he’s Kawhi Leonard,” said the point guard. Reggie Jackson, scored 23 points. “He’s special. He’s one of the best players to ever play his game and whatever the outcome, we had the most faith in him.” No matter what his stats line said, we had the utmost confidence in him.I don’t care if he shoots.I don’t care if he flips.
Leonard had previously been ruled out for the game, but at a Thursday morning shootaround his status was upgraded to questionable and he was declared eligible to play before tip-off.
After playing in two of the first three games of the season, Leonard felt stiffness in his surgically repaired right knee during the morning shootaround on Oct. 25 in Oklahoma City.
Coach Tyrone Lu said he wanted to start Leonard because he didn’t like the process of taking him off the bench midway through the second quarter for his first stint, as the Clippers did in their first two games. rice field. The design was to allow Leonard to end the fourth quarter long and not let him sit too long between plays.
“After playing the first two games, it was over,” Leonard said of his preference for starting or coming off the bench. “T-Lue wanted me to start the game and go with the flow. [12 straight games] I knew to start. “
Now the Clippers are waiting to see how Leonard’s knee reacts to his first game action in almost a month.
“Like I said, it’s a two-year process,” Leonard said of whether he’s past what’s been holding him back in the last 12 games. But we don’t know. We’ll see what happens if we keep moving forward.”
