The Los Angeles Clippers suffered a tight loss against the Utah Jazz, narrowly missing out with a 109-110 defeat on Thursday night.

Despite already securing a playoff home-court advantage by winning their division, the team is grappling with uncertainties surrounding the return of their star player, Kawhi Leonard, who was absent due to injury.

With just one game left in the regular season against the Houston Rockets, speculation looms regarding Leonard’s comeback to the court.

The Clippers have enjoyed success with seven wins in their last nine games, but Leonard has been sidelined for most of this stretch. Fans and analysts eagerly await news on whether he’ll make a return before the NBA playoffs.

Kawhi Leonard was performing exceptionally well Before his injury

In a recent interview, Head Coach Tyronn Lue was questioned about Kawhi Leonard’s injury status. Lue expressed his eagerness for Leonard’s return and confirmed the team’s hopes for his imminent comeback.

“Will Kawhi Leonard be playing in Game 1?” Brad Turner asked Tyronn Lue. “That is what we want to see. Hopefully, he will be playing,” responded Lue.

Kawhi Leonard, the top scorer for the Los Angeles Clippers, has been sidelined since March 31 due to severe knee soreness. Despite being seeded fourth in the playoffs and securing home-court advantage for the first round, the team faces the possibility of playing without Leonard in initial games.

Before his injury, Leonard had been in exceptional form, averaging 22.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting an impressive 51% from the field.

Despite managing a commendable seven wins in their last nine games without Leonard, his absence has been keenly felt within the team.

The Clippers now brace themselves for a challenging matchup against the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs, with uncertainty surrounding Leonard’s return adding an extra layer of intrigue to their postseason prospects.