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Kawhi Leonard will not play tonight against the Charlotte Hornets. The LA Clippers star will miss his third straight game after making 27 consecutive appearances this season. Leonard will miss tonight's contest because of the left hip injury that kept him out the past two games.
Leonard injured himself during the Clippers' 120-111 win over the Dallas Mavericks on December 20. He fell to the floor after a collision with Grant Williams and injured his left hip. Leonard, 32, is averaging 24.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists, shooting on 52/43/87 splits.
The Clippers have gone 0-2 in his absence. However, it's important to note that they faced relatively healthy and strong opponents like the OKC Thunder and Boston Celtics. The Clippers, who will have Paul George, James Harden and Russell Westbrook available, should manage a win against the Hornets without LaMelo Ball (ankle sprain).
LA Clippers' star depth put to test without Kawhi Leonard tonight
The LA Clippers acquired James Harden to negate the brief injury absences of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who have missed games frequently over the past three years. The Clippers have been winless in Leonard's absence but against rival contenders.
The Charlotte Hornets are a seemingly easier opponent, especially without their best player, LaMelo Ball. The Clippers' star depth will be put to the test tonight. It's early to call the team's ceiling in a three-game stretch of Leonard's absence, but that's the expectation for LA because of their roster construction.
The Clippers also produced arguably the best stretch of the season by any team to start December before their back-to-back losses. The Clippers went on a league-best nine-game winning streak behind his heroics. Kawhi Leonard averaged 29.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists, shooting on 61/50/96 splits during that winning streak.
That production is elite and hard to replace, but the Clippers have the firepower. Paul George, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Norman Powell are all capable scorers who can step up on any night. All four have been in solid form, so Leonard's absence tonight should be compensated.
The Clippers are 17-12 on the season. LA is sixth in the West. A win tonight will put them in fifth, and a loss would drop Ty Lue's team to seventh.
