Kawhi Leonard Injury Update: Clippers Get Bad News on Star's Game 5 Status

The Los Angeles Clippers clearly are struggling in the Western Conference Finals without superstar Kawhi Leonard. The two-time NBA Finals MVP would've been key to LA's hopes of taking down the Phoenix Suns, but he's been sidelined for each contest so far as the Clippers now trail 3-1 in the series.

It doesn't appear Leonard will be back in time for Game 5 as the Clippers face elimination.

Kawhi Leonard Injury Update

Leonard is "highly unlikely" to suit up for Monday's game in Phoenix, according to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes. The star forward may not even travel with the team due to concerns about elevation affecting his injury recovery.

This could be a fatal blow for LA ahead of a win-or-go-home matchup. The Clippers haven't had enough to beat the Suns in close games this series, and Leonard's clutch abilities would make a huge difference. Instead it appears Paul George will be relied upon once again for an offensive explosion; if that doesn't come to fruition, it's hard to see the Clippers staving off elimination on the road.

The Suns are 5.5-point favorites ahead of their Game 5 clash with LA, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

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Isaiah De Los Santos is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Isaiah De Los Santos also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username zayyy05328. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.