Clippers' Kawhi Leonard Out for Game 4 vs. Kevin Durant, Suns with Knee Injury

The Los Angeles Clippers just suffered another tough break.

Superstar Kawhi Leonard will miss Game 4 of the team's first-round series against the Phoenix Suns after sitting out Game 3 with a right knee sprain, according to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.

Leonard has been dealing with the injury throughout the series and was ruled out of Game 3 on Thursday afternoon:

Leonard, 31, was excellent in the first two games of the series, putting up 38 points, five boards and five assists in a Game 1 win and 31 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in a Game 2 loss.

But injuries continue to define his time with the Clippers. He played exactly 52 games in each of the past two healthy campaigns (2020-21 and 2022-23), though when on the court, he's remained dynamic, averaging 23.8 points and 6.5 boards this past regular season while shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 41.6 percent from three.

There was a time when Leonard was arguably the best two-way player in the NBA. While those days are behind him, more than likely, he reminded the NBA world just how good he was early in the series against Phoenix.

His injury status isn't the only one being monitored by the Clippers. Paul George, who hasn't played since March 21 as he recovers from a sprained right knee, is expected to miss the entire first-round series against the Suns.

The Clippers couldn't have asked for a worse time to deal with injuries to their two superstar players. The organization hasn't been able to put everything together or stay healthy enough to compete for a title in the Leonard-George era.