Clippers' Kawhi Leonard to Practice; Will He Play in Game 2 vs. Dallas Mavericks?

Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard missed Game 1, but having returned to practice, will he be playing in Game 2 against the Dallas Mavericks?

Dec 20, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) grabs a rebound during the / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

LOS ANGELES — Despite not having Kawhi Leonard available to play, the Los Angeles Clippers achieved a 109-97 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. He began the day listed as questionable with right knee inflammation, but the element of surprise was still alive without leaks about information.

“Their mentality was next man up and they did very well, very well,” Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic said. “We just got to stay focused 48 minutes.”

Dec 20, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) grabs a rebound during the / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

James Harden and Paul George took on more prominent roles with Leonard sidelined, while Ivica Zubac and Russell Westbrook were prepared to make an impact. The Clippers knew they had to overcome Leonard's absence for days before Game 1.

"We knew for two days," Harden said.

It remains to be seen if Leonard will be available to play on Tuesday when the Clippers face the Mavericks in Game 2. The team is mainly going through a walkthrough on Monday, and Leonard will participate. However, it also means Leonard won't be able to participate in contact portions of practice since there won't be any.

“He’s gonna go through practice today and we’ll see," Lue said of Leonard.

The Mavericks will need to once again prepare for either possibility ahead of Game 2, which proved challenging in Game 1. At least the film from Game 1 can be utilized to be better prepared for how Los Angeles may approach playing without Leonard again if that does occur.

“We were preparing as if he was going to play, obviously, but that shouldn’t change our mentality,” Doncic said.

Check back with MavsGameday for further updates about Leonard's status prior to Game 2 at Crypto.com Arena.