Kawhi has 6 in return: Recovery a 'long journey'

LOS ANGELES -- Saying that the betterment from a torn ACL tin beryllium a "two-year process," Kawhi Leonard returned to the tribunal and started his archetypal crippled of the play for the LA Clippers connected Thursday.

Leonard played 24 minutes, scoring six points, grabbing 5 rebounds and dishing 4 assists to assistance the Clippers propulsion retired an disfigured 96-91 triumph implicit the Detroit Pistons astatine Crypto.com Arena.

Afterward, Leonard would not spell into item astir what kept him retired of 12 consecutive games aft helium began the play playing successful 2 of the archetypal 3 games disconnected the seat for the Clippers.

"Just rehabbing, getting ready," Leonard said of what helium was going done since experiencing stiffness successful his surgically repaired close genu connected Oct. 25. "I'm not going to explicate it due to the fact that I'm not a doctor, and cipher successful present is one. So conscionable getting back, acceptable to get connected the floor."

Playing with his minutes monitored, Leonard started the archetypal 5 minutes, 47 seconds of the archetypal quarter. He logged different 5:46 successful the 2nd 4th and 5:56 successful the third. In the 4th quarter, Leonard played 7 minutes but had to cheque retired with 2:43 remaining.

The Clippers are thrilled to person Leonard backmost but admit it is similar starting implicit again arsenic everyone adapts to the franchise subordinate backmost successful the premix and ramping his minutes backmost up.

Leonard reiterated that his instrumentality from a torn close ACL suffered successful Game 4 of the 2nd circular against Utah connected June 14, 2021, volition beryllium a agelong process.

"Like I said before, astatine the commencement of the season, it's going to beryllium a agelong journey," Leonard said. "ACL betterment isn't conscionable 1 year. Everybody thinks that, but it's a two-year process, truthful I cognize that and I'm going to support going and going done the process."

Fortunately for the Clippers, they were up 88-81 erstwhile Leonard had to exit for the remainder of the crippled aft trailing the Pistons by arsenic overmuch arsenic 12.

Leonard changeable lone 2-for-8 wide from the tract and saw his streak of scoring successful treble figures snapped astatine 177 consecutive regular-season games, the third-longest progressive streak successful the NBA down LeBron James (1,106) and Luka Doncic (180), according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The past clip Leonard failed to people successful treble figures was Dec. 18, 2017, against the Clippers.

But Leonard inactive made a important interaction -- helium was a plus-26 connected the floor.

"I conscionable effort to punctual him that he's Kawhi Leonard," said constituent defender Reggie Jackson, who had 23 points. "That he's special. He's 1 of the champion to ever play his game, and we got the utmost assurance successful him nary substance what the effect was. We had utmost assurance successful him nary substance what his stat enactment said astatine the time. I don't attraction if helium made his shots. I don't attraction if helium turned it over. He is who helium is for a reason, and we're gonna thrust with him successful the fourth."

Leonard was antecedently listed arsenic retired for the game, but his presumption was upgraded to questionable astatine Thursday morning's shootaround and helium was declared bully to play earlier tipoff.

After playing successful 2 of the archetypal 3 games of the season, coming disconnected the seat successful both, Leonard experienced stiffness successful his surgically repaired close genu astatine a greeting shootaround earlier a crippled astatine Oklahoma City connected Oct. 25.

Coach Tyronn Lue said helium wanted to commencement Leonard due to the fact that helium did not similar the process of bringing Leonard disconnected the seat midway done the 2nd 4th for his archetypal stint of enactment similar the Clippers did successful his archetypal 2 games. The plan of that was to let Leonard to decorativeness the 4th fourth for a agelong long and not person him beryllium excessively agelong successful betwixt playing time.

"After I played those archetypal 2 games, it was dormant already," Leonard said of his penchant to commencement oregon travel disconnected the bench. "T-Lue wanted maine to commencement the games and get america going successful a flow. So, earlier I sat retired [12 consecutive games] I knew I was gonna beryllium starting."

Now the Clippers hold to spot however Leonard's genu responds to his archetypal crippled enactment successful astir a month.

"Like I said, it's a two-year process," Leonard said of whether helium is past what held him retired for the erstwhile 12 games. "Everybody thinks it's a one-year process, but we don't know. We'll spot what happens erstwhile we support moving forward."