Kawhi’s return was short-lived, as he re-injured his right knee just minutes into the game. Kawhi has not played since and there is no timetable for his return.

Many fans and pundits have speculated that Kawhi may never play again, but Leonard himself has said that he plans to return to the court. Kawhi’s return would be a huge boost to the Clippers, who are currently struggling without him.

So far this season, Leonard has averaged 27.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. Kawhi is a two-time NBA champion and was the Finals MVP in both 2014 and 2019. He is also a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and has been named to the All-Star team six times.

Leonard had a game-high 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting, eight rebounds and five assists in 32 minutes as the Clippers moved to 46-25 on the season, 3.5 games behind the Jazz for the best record in the West.

The two-time NBA Finals MVP was playing his first game since April 2021 when he was injured in the Clippers’ playoff series against the Utah Jazz. Kawhi missed the final two games of that series and then sat out the entire postseason as he recovered from surgery to repair a torn tendon in his left knee.

During Leonard’s absence, Paul George stepped up and led the Clippers to the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the Denver Nuggets in seven games.

Now that Kawhi is back, the Clippers are once again one of the favorites to win the NBA title. And while it’s still early, Kawhi’s return has been nothing but good news for the team so far.