Clippers to get superstar player back for Game 2

Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue announced that Leonard had "checked every box" in his recovery from right knee inflammation which has sidelined him since March 31. He'll start Game 2 against the Dallas Mavericks, who trail 1-0 after losing to the Clippers without Leonard.

Leonard has struggled with his health in recent postseasons with the Clippers. In 2021, Leonard tore his ACL in the second round of the playoffs, and missed the rest of the postseason and the subsequent regular season. Last year, he tore his meniscus in the first round, sitting out after two games.

This season has been his healthiest in years, with Leonard playing 68 games, his most since 2016-17. So it made sense that the Clippers and Leonard would have been cautious bringing him back.

What's interesting about this is Leonard will have no minutes restriction. That's generally been the Clippers' attitude toward Leonard's injuries — he lets Lue knows when he's able to play.

This isn't good news for the Mavericks. Head coach Jason Kidd told reporters, "He’s got to be accounted for on both sides of the ball. It doesn’t matter how long he’s been out. If he’s playing, he’s ready to go."

The Mavericks need to bounce back to even the series. And they'll have to do it against one of the best playoff performers in the league.