Through an update fresh off the press, Chris B. Haynes for NBA on Prime reported that Kawhi Leonard is returning home following the completion of the first of a three-game road trip due to knee irritation. According to Haynes, Leonard’s knee has been sore for a week, and the injury is minor.
Kawhi Leonard sustained a contusion a week ago and has been dealing with some soreness since. It’s not seen as anything serious.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 18, 2026
The timing is a pure nightmare, as the Clippers were playing exceptionally well. They won four straight with the two-time champion, and though they defeated the tough-to-beat Toronto Raptors on Friday night without him, LA has to try to sustain their win streak through a back-to-back in D.C. and Chicago.
Thus, to win the next two, the Clippers will need another legacy game from Jordan Miller, an energetic masterpiece from Yanic Konan Niederhauser, and a flawless, 20-point double-double from Ivica Zubac.
Is it possible to witness all three in one night? Yes, but it is like hitting a jackpot, and only time will tell how lucky the Clippers get with Leonard sidelined across the country.
The Clippers’ win streak may come to an end with Kawhi Leonard unavailable
The Chicago Bulls are the LA Clippers go head-to-head for the first time this season on Tuesday, January 20th. They have been among the teams that have watched the Clippers’ turnaround from a distance, and finally have their hands on an opportunity to test the strength and durability of Tyronn Lue’s scheme.
Everyone in the NBA is hungry to be the team that ends a win streak, and if LA keeps it up through Monday against the Washington Wizards, they will not take the matchup lightly.
However, the Clippers are not a new opponent for the Wizards. The NBA scheduled both matchups within seven days, and in the first, where LA won, Washington was, at one point, on pace to hand the Clippers their worst loss in the last few weeks.
Furthermore, on the front end of a back-to-back, without Kawhi Leonard, the Wizards have the perfect opportunity to claim victory. Head coach of Washington, Brian Keefe, just saw several of Lue’s offensive and defensive sets.
Keefe also has the Clippers’ win over the Toronto Raptors as an informative reflection, as Lue turned to Jordan Miller and Cam Christie in the absence of his best player.
That said, if the Clippers make it to Thursday with their win streak untouched, that will say something to the league. It will be a challenge, just like Friday’s game against Toronto, yet one LA is up for, given how the culture and identity have shifted mid-season.