The Los Angeles Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook is occupying a bench role this season, but that isn’t stopping him from making some history. Westbrook scored 23 points in a 136-125 win over the Detroit Pistons to reach 25,000 career points.

Westbrook reached the mark with a driving basket late in the fourth quarter. He made a foul on the Pistons’ ensuing possession and went to celebrate with his teammates.

The 2017 NBA MVP became only the 25th player in NBA history to reach that feat. He is also one of just four active players with that many points, with the other three being his Clippers’ teammate James Harden, Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, and Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant.

“I’m so grateful to be on this team,” said Westbrook after the game. “I don’t take any of this for granted.”

Westbrook has accepted a bench role for the Clippers since the franchise traded for Harden and has been quite effective in it. Despite playing just 23 minutes per game, the 35-year-old is averaging 11.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.

The Clippers are currently one of the hottest teams in the league. They have won eight of their last 10 games and currently sit third in the Western Conference at 32-15, with just one game behind the leading Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves.

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The Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points to lead his team to a 121-104 win over the Miami Heat at the Crypto.com Arena. This is Leonard’s first game back from a four-game absence after suffering a left hip contusion. In addition, Leonard added six rebounds, five assists, and four steals to push the Clippers over the line.

“You see the performance,” Clippers point guard James Harden said of Leonard. “Both ends of the ball, just elite. Shotmaking, defensively, just being active, creating opportunities in transition. We needed that, [for Leonard] to get well and get better. We missed him.” Playing just 33 minutes against the Heat, Leonard surpassed 13,000 career points during the win.

Now on a three-game winning streak, the Clippers have won 12 of their last 14 games, pushing them up to fourth place on the Western Conference standings. The Clippers next face the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night before taking on the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.

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James Harden made his long-anticipated debut for the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night against the New York Knicks. But despite delivering a solid performance, the former NBA MVP couldn’t help his new team to avoid a 97-111 loss.

The Clippers made a blockbuster trade for Harden earlier this month, adding him to a star-studded lineup that also has Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook. Each of the four stars scored in double digits against the Knicks, but it was obvious they would need time to get comfortable playing together.

However, Harden wasn’t discouraged by the fact that the Clippers came up short in his debut for the franchise, saying that this team has “unlimited possibilities”.

“I feel kind of weird out there,” Harden told reporters after the game. “But just not really having a preseason game or an opportunity to participate in the full training camp or none of that. It was just [being] out there and just basically winging it. Try to go off my basketball instincts and what I’ve been doing for the last few years or whatnot. I just went out there and playing and thinking the game and trying to make the game easier for everybody else.”

Harden finished the night with 17 points and six assists, and Westbrook added 17 points, four assists, and four rebounds. Leonard had 18 points, while George struggled to shoot the ball but still got 10 points, seven boards, and three steals.

The Clippers are 3-3 to start the 2023-24 campaign and will get another look at their new lineup against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.

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Los Angeles Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank confirmed that Kawhi Leonard is expected to be “100%” fit ahead of the team’s training camp in October. This comes after the forward underwent a cleanup procedure for a torn meniscus in his right knee.

“Just a cleanup, went terrific,” Frank commented after the Clippers’ draft on Thursday night. “Very quick procedure. He feels great. Eight-week recovery from time of surgery where you are back on the court playing like it was a game. We are very fortunate that it was just a quick little cleanup.”

Leonard is now on an eight week recovery timetable from the moment that he underwent his surgery on June 6. His comeback is viewed as vitally important to the Clippers’ rebuild, with Frank looking to build the team around Leonard and Paul George going into the new season.

Averaging 34.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists during the Clippers’ first two games against the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2023 playoffs, Leonard has proven to be key to the Clippers’ success. Injury resulted in Leonard missing the remainder of the series, with the Clippers ultimately going down in five games.

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The Los Angeles Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank confirmed that the franchise remains committed to building a team around stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George next season. Frank’s announcement came after the Clippers were dumped out of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs in a five-game series loss to the Phoenix Suns.

“When we traded for Paul and signed Kawhi as a free agent in 2019, it wasn’t for one or two years, wasn’t three or four,” Frank announced. “Every year you have those guys, they give you a chance. And so it’s about surrounding those guys to continue to improve your chances.”

Frank will be hoping that the Clippers will be able to make more use of both players next season after injuries cut their appearances short this season. George was sidelined for the last nine games of the regular season and the entire playoff clash with the Suns due to a sprained right knee, while Leonard missed the final three games against the Suns due to a torn meniscus in his right knee.

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The Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is an injury doubt going forward in his team’s playoff series against the Phoenix Suns. Leonard sprained his right knee during the Clippers’ Game 1 victory.

Although Leonard played through his injury during the Clippers’ defeat in Game 2, he was ruled out of Game 3 on Thursday night, with the Suns winning 129-124 to take a 2-1 series lead.

Leonard is being monitored daily by the Clippers’ medical staff, who consider his injury day-to-day. He will be evaluated before Game 4 on Saturday afternoon to determine if he is ready to return to the court.

“Symptoms got worse after Game 2,” president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said of Leonard’s injury before Game 3. “Obviously, if we weren’t comfortable with [Leonard] playing [in Game 2], we wouldn’t have. But after the game, things didn’t get better. They got worse. So we will rule him out and kind of take it day by day.”

Following their Game 1 win, Clippers coach Ty Lue and his players expressed their belief that they could win the series. Leonard proved crucial in the first two games, averaging 34.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.0 steals.

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Kawhi Leonard proved to be recovering well after his long-term injury by helping the Los Angeles Clippers to a 125-118 victory over local rivals Los Angeles Lakers at a sold-out Crypto.com Arena.

Leonard played the entire second half for only the third time in his career, the last time being during Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat. He finished Thursday night’s game with 25 points and seven rebounds.

“He said he felt good,” Clippers coach Ty Lue said of Leonard. “He knew how important this win was for us. And so he gave everything he had.”

“I thought I did a good job,” Leonard added, explaining that the trust he was able to put in teammates such as Norman Powell and Bones Hyland helped to make all the difference.

Missing the entirety of last season due to suffering a torn ACL, Leonard played his first consecutive contests last weekend for the first time since incurring his injury.

The post Leonard Shows Strong Recovery To Help Clippers To Vital Win appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Paul George and Kawhi Leonard found themselves at the forefront of what was a hard-fought 135-129 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night.

Memphis grabbed a 14-point lead over the Clippers after scoring a mammoth 51-point haul in the third quarter. In response, George and Leonard linked up to score 25 of the Clippers’ final 28 points in order to complete the team’s comeback.

“We just played harder,” George said. “Which really was the difference. We just brought another level. We played with some grit and we changed … I just felt tonight we just had a winning spirit.”

Overall, George contributed 42 points and 11 rebounds on the night while Leonard scored 34 points along with 10 rebounds and four assists. New arrival Russell Westbrook also got in on the action, grabbing nine points, six assists, and five rebounds.

By completing their comeback, the Clippers have become the first team to win a game despite conceding 50 points in a single quarter since the Cleveland Cavaliers back on Nov. 12, 1991, against the Milwaukee Bucks. This win also brought an end to the Clippers’ five game losing streak, marking their first victory since the All-Star break.

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Russell Westbrook’s agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports, revealed on Monday that the All-Star guard is interested in joining the LA Clippers after completing a contract buyout with the Utah Jazz.

The parties finalized the buyout on the remaining $47 million left on Westbrook’s contract with the Jazz, with the team officially waiving Westbrook on Monday.

In addition to Westbrook desiring a move back to Los Angeles, this time to the Clippers, the Clippers have also taken an interest in Westbrook. Head coach Ty Lue and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank both entered into a discussion with Westbrook whereby they explained the clear role that he would play in the team. According to sources, the Clippers are looking to build a strategy around Westbrook’s playmaking and physical strength.

Westbrook had entered discussions with the Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, and Miami Heat in recent days before deciding to seek a deal with the Clippers. The nine-time All-Star decided on the Clippers due to his desire to move back to Los Angeles as well as the opportunity to play for an NBA Championship.

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The Los Angeles Clippers point guard John Wall will be sidelined for at least two weeks after he suffered an abdominal injury during the 115-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Wall felt pain in his abdomen after stretching to perform an explosive dunk.

News of Wall’s injury was broken by the Clippers as they ruled him out of their 121-100 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday. Paul George, Marcus Morris Sr., and Luke Kennard were ruled out as well.

While George, Morris, and Kennard are all considered day-to-day, the Clippers have confirmed that it will be two weeks until Wall is reevaluated.

“I haven’t jumped like that when somebody contested me in probably like three years to be honest,” Wall said after the Nuggets’ game. “… I think I just stretched it as much as I could when I dunked it.”

Although Wall remains unavailable, the Clippers have been boosted by news that Paul George could return sooner than expected. George has missed five consecutive games since aggravating a right hamstring injury that sidelined him for seven games earlier on in the season.

The post Clippers’ John Wall Out for Two Weeks With Abdominal Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Los Angeles Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook is occupying a bench role this season, but that isn’t stopping him from making some history. Westbrook scored 23 points in a 136-125 win over the Detroit Pistons to reach 25,000 career points.

Westbrook reached the mark with a driving basket late in the fourth quarter. He made a foul on the Pistons’ ensuing possession and went to celebrate with his teammates.

The 2017 NBA MVP became only the 25th player in NBA history to reach that feat. He is also one of just four active players with that many points, with the other three being his Clippers’ teammate James Harden, Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, and Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant.

“I’m so grateful to be on this team,” said Westbrook after the game. “I don’t take any of this for granted.”

Westbrook has accepted a bench role for the Clippers since the franchise traded for Harden and has been quite effective in it. Despite playing just 23 minutes per game, the 35-year-old is averaging 11.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.

The Clippers are currently one of the hottest teams in the league. They have won eight of their last 10 games and currently sit third in the Western Conference at 32-15, with just one game behind the leading Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves.

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The Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points to lead his team to a 121-104 win over the Miami Heat at the Crypto.com Arena. This is Leonard’s first game back from a four-game absence after suffering a left hip contusion. In addition, Leonard added six rebounds, five assists, and four steals to push the Clippers over the line.

“You see the performance,” Clippers point guard James Harden said of Leonard. “Both ends of the ball, just elite. Shotmaking, defensively, just being active, creating opportunities in transition. We needed that, [for Leonard] to get well and get better. We missed him.” Playing just 33 minutes against the Heat, Leonard surpassed 13,000 career points during the win.

Now on a three-game winning streak, the Clippers have won 12 of their last 14 games, pushing them up to fourth place on the Western Conference standings. The Clippers next face the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night before taking on the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.

The post Kawhi Leonard Scores 24 For Clippers Upon Returning From Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

James Harden made his long-anticipated debut for the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night against the New York Knicks. But despite delivering a solid performance, the former NBA MVP couldn’t help his new team to avoid a 97-111 loss.

The Clippers made a blockbuster trade for Harden earlier this month, adding him to a star-studded lineup that also has Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook. Each of the four stars scored in double digits against the Knicks, but it was obvious they would need time to get comfortable playing together.

However, Harden wasn’t discouraged by the fact that the Clippers came up short in his debut for the franchise, saying that this team has “unlimited possibilities”.

“I feel kind of weird out there,” Harden told reporters after the game. “But just not really having a preseason game or an opportunity to participate in the full training camp or none of that. It was just [being] out there and just basically winging it. Try to go off my basketball instincts and what I’ve been doing for the last few years or whatnot. I just went out there and playing and thinking the game and trying to make the game easier for everybody else.”

Harden finished the night with 17 points and six assists, and Westbrook added 17 points, four assists, and four rebounds. Leonard had 18 points, while George struggled to shoot the ball but still got 10 points, seven boards, and three steals.

The Clippers are 3-3 to start the 2023-24 campaign and will get another look at their new lineup against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.

The post LA Clippers Come Up Short Against the Knicks in James Harden’s Debut With the Franchise appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Los Angeles Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank confirmed that Kawhi Leonard is expected to be “100%” fit ahead of the team’s training camp in October. This comes after the forward underwent a cleanup procedure for a torn meniscus in his right knee.

“Just a cleanup, went terrific,” Frank commented after the Clippers’ draft on Thursday night. “Very quick procedure. He feels great. Eight-week recovery from time of surgery where you are back on the court playing like it was a game. We are very fortunate that it was just a quick little cleanup.”

Leonard is now on an eight week recovery timetable from the moment that he underwent his surgery on June 6. His comeback is viewed as vitally important to the Clippers’ rebuild, with Frank looking to build the team around Leonard and Paul George going into the new season.

Averaging 34.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists during the Clippers’ first two games against the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2023 playoffs, Leonard has proven to be key to the Clippers’ success. Injury resulted in Leonard missing the remainder of the series, with the Clippers ultimately going down in five games.

The post Clippers Expect Kawhi Leonard To Be Fit Before Next Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Los Angeles Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank confirmed that the franchise remains committed to building a team around stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George next season. Frank’s announcement came after the Clippers were dumped out of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs in a five-game series loss to the Phoenix Suns.

“When we traded for Paul and signed Kawhi as a free agent in 2019, it wasn’t for one or two years, wasn’t three or four,” Frank announced. “Every year you have those guys, they give you a chance. And so it’s about surrounding those guys to continue to improve your chances.”

Frank will be hoping that the Clippers will be able to make more use of both players next season after injuries cut their appearances short this season. George was sidelined for the last nine games of the regular season and the entire playoff clash with the Suns due to a sprained right knee, while Leonard missed the final three games against the Suns due to a torn meniscus in his right knee.

The post Clippers President Confirms Commitment to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as Season Ends appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is an injury doubt going forward in his team’s playoff series against the Phoenix Suns. Leonard sprained his right knee during the Clippers’ Game 1 victory.

Although Leonard played through his injury during the Clippers’ defeat in Game 2, he was ruled out of Game 3 on Thursday night, with the Suns winning 129-124 to take a 2-1 series lead.

Leonard is being monitored daily by the Clippers’ medical staff, who consider his injury day-to-day. He will be evaluated before Game 4 on Saturday afternoon to determine if he is ready to return to the court.

“Symptoms got worse after Game 2,” president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said of Leonard’s injury before Game 3. “Obviously, if we weren’t comfortable with [Leonard] playing [in Game 2], we wouldn’t have. But after the game, things didn’t get better. They got worse. So we will rule him out and kind of take it day by day.”

Following their Game 1 win, Clippers coach Ty Lue and his players expressed their belief that they could win the series. Leonard proved crucial in the first two games, averaging 34.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.0 steals.

The post Kawhi Leonard Injured in Clippers Playoff Loss appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Kawhi Leonard proved to be recovering well after his long-term injury by helping the Los Angeles Clippers to a 125-118 victory over local rivals Los Angeles Lakers at a sold-out Crypto.com Arena.

Leonard played the entire second half for only the third time in his career, the last time being during Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat. He finished Thursday night’s game with 25 points and seven rebounds.

“He said he felt good,” Clippers coach Ty Lue said of Leonard. “He knew how important this win was for us. And so he gave everything he had.”

“I thought I did a good job,” Leonard added, explaining that the trust he was able to put in teammates such as Norman Powell and Bones Hyland helped to make all the difference.

Missing the entirety of last season due to suffering a torn ACL, Leonard played his first consecutive contests last weekend for the first time since incurring his injury.

The post Leonard Shows Strong Recovery To Help Clippers To Vital Win appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Paul George and Kawhi Leonard found themselves at the forefront of what was a hard-fought 135-129 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night.

Memphis grabbed a 14-point lead over the Clippers after scoring a mammoth 51-point haul in the third quarter. In response, George and Leonard linked up to score 25 of the Clippers’ final 28 points in order to complete the team’s comeback.

“We just played harder,” George said. “Which really was the difference. We just brought another level. We played with some grit and we changed … I just felt tonight we just had a winning spirit.”

Overall, George contributed 42 points and 11 rebounds on the night while Leonard scored 34 points along with 10 rebounds and four assists. New arrival Russell Westbrook also got in on the action, grabbing nine points, six assists, and five rebounds.

By completing their comeback, the Clippers have become the first team to win a game despite conceding 50 points in a single quarter since the Cleveland Cavaliers back on Nov. 12, 1991, against the Milwaukee Bucks. This win also brought an end to the Clippers’ five game losing streak, marking their first victory since the All-Star break.

The post Paul George, Kawhi Leonard Help Clippers to Overcome Grizzles’ 51-Point Quarter appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Russell Westbrook’s agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports, revealed on Monday that the All-Star guard is interested in joining the LA Clippers after completing a contract buyout with the Utah Jazz.

The parties finalized the buyout on the remaining $47 million left on Westbrook’s contract with the Jazz, with the team officially waiving Westbrook on Monday.

In addition to Westbrook desiring a move back to Los Angeles, this time to the Clippers, the Clippers have also taken an interest in Westbrook. Head coach Ty Lue and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank both entered into a discussion with Westbrook whereby they explained the clear role that he would play in the team. According to sources, the Clippers are looking to build a strategy around Westbrook’s playmaking and physical strength.

Westbrook had entered discussions with the Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, and Miami Heat in recent days before deciding to seek a deal with the Clippers. The nine-time All-Star decided on the Clippers due to his desire to move back to Los Angeles as well as the opportunity to play for an NBA Championship.

The post Westbrook Wants to Sign for Clippers, Says Agent appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Los Angeles Clippers point guard John Wall will be sidelined for at least two weeks after he suffered an abdominal injury during the 115-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Wall felt pain in his abdomen after stretching to perform an explosive dunk.

News of Wall’s injury was broken by the Clippers as they ruled him out of their 121-100 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday. Paul George, Marcus Morris Sr., and Luke Kennard were ruled out as well.

While George, Morris, and Kennard are all considered day-to-day, the Clippers have confirmed that it will be two weeks until Wall is reevaluated.

“I haven’t jumped like that when somebody contested me in probably like three years to be honest,” Wall said after the Nuggets’ game. “… I think I just stretched it as much as I could when I dunked it.”

Although Wall remains unavailable, the Clippers have been boosted by news that Paul George could return sooner than expected. George has missed five consecutive games since aggravating a right hamstring injury that sidelined him for seven games earlier on in the season.

The post Clippers’ John Wall Out for Two Weeks With Abdominal Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.