Prior to the final injury report of the LA Clippers’ matchup with the Brooklyn Nets, Kawhi Leonard had two injury designations: left-knee contusion and an illness. He was questionable to play, yet with two different, detrimental factors that could impact his status, the worry was high that he would not play.
However, every last bit of worry on Leonard’s status against the Nets was shut down immediately, as Joey Linn of Sports Illustrated was one of the first to confirm via X(formerly Twitter) that Leonard is active and healthy tonight.
Kawhi Leonard is playing tonight against the Nets.
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) January 26, 2026
Though the last couple of days may have helped Leonard’s knee contusion, he missed practice yesterday due to illness. This was all that was reported, as the true severity of his illness remained unrevealed.
Nonetheless, if he is suiting up in just over 60 minutes, it must have just been something minor. This is fantastic news, as it gives the Clippers a better chance of leaving the Intuit Dome tonight with a blowout win.
Kawhi Leonard must be locked in from the jump to maximize his rest
Reports surfaced following the LA Clippers’ win over the Los Angeles Lakers that Tyronn Lue was upset despite the fortunate outcome. He wanted to win by a wide margin, and because the Lakers almost completed a 20-plus point comeback and claimed victory, Lue was not satisfied.
Furthermore, as the head coach, Lue will be motivated to take the next level to crush the Brooklyn Nets, and with Kawhi Leonard available, the stars are aligning perfectly to have a night ended early with a double-digit victory.
While Leonard may be on a minutes restriction versus the Nets, the same technique was used against the Lakers, and that did not stop him from posting 24 points and five rebounds in 26 minutes.
It looked like he never even had a knee contusion, as the two-time champion was on a roll on both sides of the ball the moment the game began. This is how tonight should be treated, as the reward could be the optimal combination of a win and extended rest in the second half.
The Nets will also be short-staffed by key players, like Cam Thomas, who has a left-ankle sprain, making it tougher to beat the Clippers.
That said, Leonard’s positive injury update ahead of tipoff has fans all over the world excited. Not just because every time he plays is a show, but also because LA can get within two games of the Portland Trail Blazers, who hold the ninth seed.