The post Kawhi Leonard to miss 6th game in a row, but "progressing" towards return to Clippers lineup appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Los Angele Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard for the sixth consecutive game when the team begins a seven-game road trip on Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks .
Leonard, who suffered a sprained ankle in the fourth quarter of the Clippers' loss against the Miami Heat on November 3, has been out of the lineup with the same injury. As Leonard continues to miss games, the Clippers continue to falter.
LA has lost six consecutive games, all coinciding with Leonard's absence. Things haven't gotten any easier, as the team announced that Bradley Beal would miss the remainder of the season after suffering a fractured hip.
During a press conference held before Wednesday night's game against the Denver Nuggets , Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank addressed Kawhi Leonard 's injury.
"He's making progress," Frank said. "With Kawhi, it wasn't just an ankle sprain. He also had a significant sprain in his foot as well. His ankle, when he sprained his ankle, it kind of triggered a mechanism in his foot as well. He's making really good progress. We'll continue to treat him, he'll be going on the trip, but we'll probably have a better feel for it next week."
Leonard's absence Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks means he's going on nearly two weeks and over six games missed with the ankle sprain.
"The ankle kind of triggered the mechanism in the foot," Frank added. "We've consulted like three different doctors. That's kind of typical for every one of our players' injuries. And everyone is concurred as far as what it is. And it's just going to take a period of time, get the inflammation down, and then start to ramp back up on the court. He's doing two, three-a-day treatments, and it's just going to take a little time."
Kawhi leonard initially suffered the injury trying to navigate the floor on a defensive possession late in the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat. Leonard took a step back, twisted his ankle awkwardly, and fell down to the floor as Andrew Wiggins took and made a wide-open three-pointer with 2:26 remaining.
The positive news is that Leonard did travel with the team with the hope of returning on the road. The Clippers start their trip in Dallas before taking on the Boston Celtics , Philadelphia 76ers , Orlando Magic , Charlotte Hornets , Cleveland Cavaliers , and Los Angeles Lakers . The trip includes a Celtics-Sixers back-to-back set, but then gives the Clippers two days off before taking on the Magic with no remaining back-to-backs on the trip.
Friday night's game between the Clippers and Mavs is set to tip off at 5:30PM PST.
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