Clippers' Kawhi Leonard Scheduled to Play 1st Back-to-Back Since 2021 Knee Injury

For the first time since April 2021, the Los Angeles Clippers will have Kawhi Leonard on back-to-back nights.

Leonard suited up in Friday night's matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, a game that the Clippers lost 108-94. He only played in the opening half, scoring 12 points and grabbing three rebounds in 18 minutes. His absence in the second half was planned, allowing him to have proper load management heading into the game Saturday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Los Angeles sits in the fifth seed in the Western Conference with a 41-37 record. The Clippers are tied with the sixth-place Golden State Warriors, and both teams hold a 1.5-game lead over the Los Angeles Lakers and Pelicans.

The Grizzlies are 8.5 games ahead of the Clippers, which means that Los Angeles is unable to catch them in the standings. As mentioned earlier, the Pelicans are in the Clippers' range, so Saturday night's game carries more weight, necessitating the decision.

Leonard has played 48 games for the Clippers this season after missing the entirety of the 2021-22 season after tearing his ACL in the 2021 playoffs. He is averaging 23.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 33.3 minutes this season.

The Clippers have Saturday night's game against the Pelicans and then play on Wednesday against the Lakers. They will finish the season with a back-to-back next weekend against the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns.