Clippers’ list Kawhi Leonard as out for Game 4 with knee soreness

We’ve seen this movie before and it doesn’t end well for the Clippers.

Kawhi Leonard has been listed as “out” for Game 4 against the Suns on Saturday in the team’s initial injury report. Leonard missed Game 3 on Thursday night due to a sore knee and the 41-hour turnaround between games (Game 4 tips off at 3:30 Eastern on Saturday) did not give him time to get right.

The Clippers gave an incredible effort in that game — Norman Powell scored 42, Russell Westbrook had 30 points and 12 boards, and the team’s energy was high — but without Leonard or Paul George (also a sprained knee) Los Angeles didn’t have the answers to beat Phoenix.

With the Clippers down 2-1 in the series, dropping a second game at home Saturday would all but end their chances of advancing out of the first round.

While the Clippers’ offense found a way to hang with the Suns on Thursday, it took Tyronne Lue going to a five-guard lineup — Terance Mann was the tallest player on the court at 6’5″ — and that lineup could not get stops against 6’11” Kevin Durant and All-Star Devin Booker (45 points) and the Clippers lost a shootout. It’s tough to imagine a different outcome in Game 4 without Leonard in the lineup.

This is the third straight season injuries have undone the Clippers in the playoffs, and with both Leonard and George extension eligible this summer, the Clippers are in a position where some hard choices could hit them this summer.

Check out more on the Clippers

NBA playoffs first round results, schedule, times and where to watch Without Leonard, Clippers have no answers for Booker, Durant, Suns win Kawhi Leonard out for Clippers’ Game 3 vs. Suns with knee sprain

Clippers’ list Kawhi Leonard as out for Game 4 with knee soreness originally appeared on NBCSports.com