Misses reunion with former team! Kawhi Leonard sidelined against Spurs due to ankle injury; three more missed games would disqualify him from award eligibility.

On March 17 Beijing time, Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard will miss today's game against his former team, the Spurs, due to a left ankle sprain.

He was injured late in Sunday's home loss to the Kings. With 9:27 left in the fourth quarter, Leonard landed awkwardly while defending DeRozan and retreated, limping off the court and not returning. In that game, Leonard scored 31 points for the Clippers, extending his streak of 20+ points to 45 consecutive games, setting a franchise record.

Meanwhile, for the Spurs, center Luke Kornet and rookie Dylan Harper will also be absent for Monday's game.

After playing only 37 games last season due to health issues, Leonard has appeared in 53 games in the 2025‑26 season, delivering one of the finest performances in his 15-year NBA career. The 34-year-old averages 32.3 minutes per game, contributing 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.0 steals, with shooting percentages of 50.1% from the field, 37.8% from three-point range, and 89.7% from the free-throw line. However, if he misses three more games, he will fail to meet the 65-game threshold and thus be excluded from eligibility for end-of-season major awards.

After a poor start of 6‑21 early in the season, Leonard became the key figure in the Clippers' turnaround. The team's net efficiency is +4.1 when he plays and -5.9 when he is off the court. If he needs to rest this week, the Clippers will be significantly impacted. The Clippers host the Spurs today, then embark on a three-game road trip facing the Pelicans (twice) and the Mavericks.