Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard to Miss Wednesday's Matchup With Utah Jazz

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard will miss his 25th game of the season. The team officially declared the five-time All Star out for Wednesday's matchup with the Utah Jazz.

No back to backs quite yet for Kawhi Leonard. Here’s the team’s injury report for tonight: pic.twitter.com/QBqf3wptLv
— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) January 18, 2023

Leonard has avoided back-to-backs this season, so his absence doesn't come as a surprise. He scored 27 points in 35 minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers last night. He's averaging 19.4 points per game on .482 shooting this season as he continues his recovery from lingering ankle and knee injuries.

Nagging ailments and rest management have become a recurring theme with Leonard. Since a knee injury sabotaged his relationship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2017, the two-time Finals MVP has missed at least 20 games in six straight seasons, including the entirety of the 2021-22 season. The Clippers are banking on a healthy end to the season and a dominant post-season run, but that formula has yet to pay off for them so far. If they can't improve on their 23-23 record, they'll fall into the play-in tournament and face their longest odds yet at a deep playoff run in the Leonard/Paul George era.

Hopefully, Leonard will return for the Clippers' Friday night matchup with the San Antonio Spurs.