Kawhi Leonard injury update: Clippers star receives eight stitches after accidental clash

In a major setback for Western Conference leaders Los Angeles Clippers, NBA star Kawhi Leonard was forced off from the game against Denver Nuggets after a brutal collision with a teammate left him bleeding in the fourth quarter, Friday night. The player has been administered eight stitches on his jaw to treat a mouth laceration. 

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What happened to Kawhi Leonard? Kawhi Leonard mouth laceration during Nuggets game

Serge Ibaka was attempting a defensive rebound when he ended up colliding with Kawhi Leonard. The collision saw the LA Clippers' star fall on the floor immediately. Leonard was seen bleeding profusely while he was being treated on the floor before being withdrawn towards the dressing room. 

Notably, six minutes of action was still in the box at the time of his injury. Interestingly, Clippers' went on to maintain their decent lead against Nuggets after Kawhi Leonard's injury. Clippers' registered a 121-108 win against Nuggets at Denver. The victory spells success for Clippers with Nuggets defeating them in the second round of the playoffs last season. Clippers had blown a 3-1 series lead back then. 

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Kawhi Leonard injury update: Evaluation underway after Kawhi Leonard and Ibaka clash 

At the time of Kawhi Leonard's injury, the Clippers were leading 108-97. He had racked up 21 points, along with seven assists in the game. Besides, his stint on the court also saw him manage five rebounds and four steals in the 30 minutes of the play before the brutal clash. 

Head coach Ty Lue, speaking on Kawhi Leonard jaw injury, claimed that the player will be fine, even as the four-time All-Star was being evaluated. The coach, while speaking to the media claims he couldn't even see the collision, while also insisting that the player worked on his own, expressing the hope that he will be fine soon. 

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Kawhi Leonard jaw injury update: Will the player sit out?

If the severity of the current injury isn't much, then he will not miss out on any games. Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard has often attempted to manage the time load, thus missing out on several games. To sum up, he has never played more than 74 games in a single season. During his stint with the Toronto Raptors, he racked up 60 games during the 2018-19 season.

However, the load management did not deter him from leading his side to the Championship as debatably the best two-way player in the league. In his first season with the Clippers, he managed to make 57 appearances of the total 72 fixtures, after the season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the side was left disappointed after losing in the second round of the playoffs. 

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Image courtesy: AP