The Los Angeles Clippers fear star Kawhi Leonard has suffered an ACL injury, according to The Athletic‘s Shams Charania.
Leonard will be sidelined indefinitely.
Earlier Wednesday, the Clippers said the All-NBA forward had a right knee sprain that would keep him out of the team’s lineup for Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Utah Jazz and that there was “no timetable for his return.”
Leonard’s injury appeared to occur with about 5:20 left in Game 4 on Monday night, when he was fouled on a drive by the Jazz’s Bojan Bogdanovic. Leonard was dribbling into the lane when he was bumped, and his right knee appeared to buckle slightly. He grimaced in some discomfort, missed the two free throws that were awarded following the foul, but remained in the game for 45 more seconds.
He checked out with 4:35 remaining as the Clippers led by 16 points.
The news is a massive blow for the Clippers who are in a 2-2 series deadlock with the top-seeded Jazz and are trying to reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Leonard, a two-time Finals MVP, is averaging 30.4 points on 57 per cent shooting in the post-season.
The Clippers were 11-9 without the 29-year-old during the regular season.
Game 5 goes Wednesday night at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on Sportsnet 360.
With files from The Associated Press
