Clippers will face Mavericks in first round, but will Kawhi Leonard play?

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Clippers guard Amir Coffey puts up a shot during a 110-109 loss to the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena on Friday night. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The Clippers’ first-round playoff matchup was set before tipoff Friday night.

With the Dallas Mavericks losing to the Detroit Pistons, the Clippers already knew before their 110-109 loss to the Utah Jazz that they had clinched the fourth seed in the Western Conference and will play the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.

“Getting the fourth seed in a tough conference, the Western Conference … it means a lot,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “Having home-court advantage in the first round, winning (51) games, winning our division for the first time in 10 years, so it says a lot about just staying with it, sticking with it even through tough times. So, I give guys credit — our players as well as our coaching staff.”

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The next order of business for the Clippers is to have a healthy roster, something they haven’t had in a while.

Their top player, Kawhi Leonard, didn’t play against the Jazz because of right knee inflammation. It was the seventh straight game Leonard sat out because of a knee issue. Leonard had been relatively healthy this season, sitting out only six games before his latest injury.

The Clippers haven’t said if Leonard would play against the Houston Rockets in the regular-season finale Sunday. In 68 games, Leonard averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists and shot 52.5% from the field, 41.7% from three-point range.

So will Leonard play when the postseason starts?

“That is what we want to see,” Lue said. “Hopefully he will be playing. Yes sir.”

Lue said before the game that getting healthy was the team’s “No. 1 priority.”

James Harden returned after sitting out two games because of right foot inflammation. He played only 10 minutes and had four points and five assists.

Lue said he wasn’t sure if the team would have to manage Harden’s foot injury in the postseason.

Paul George didn’t play after the first quarter, logging eight minutes and scoring 10…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/clippers-lose-jazz-playoff-seeding-050935062.html

Author : LA Times

Publish date : 2024-04-13 05:09:35

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