“I love the game. I have a passion for it still, I love to compete out there. That’s pretty much what drives me back,” said Kawhi Leonard about his injury-riddled career. It hasn’t been easy for the Clippers forward. Kawhi also had this season marred by injuries, as he only managed to play 37 games out of a possible 82!

But there’s no looking back now — the Clippers face a major test in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. They stare down a behemoth in the form of the reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. To beat the Jokic-led Denver Nuggets, the Clippers will need Leonard to be fit and ready to go. So let’s see if that’s the case.

LA Clippers Injury Report – Is Kawhi Leonard playing against the Nuggets?

A knee injury this season has caused Kawhi Leonard a lot of grief this season. But when the Clippers veteran has played for them this season, he has looked phenomenal. The man has averaged 21.5 points this season. And he was instrumental in the Clippers finishing as the 5th seed after things got heated in the West during the season’s final stretch.

The good news for Clippers fans? Kawhi Leonard is officially off the injury report for tonight’s game. In fact, there’s literally no one on the Clippers’ injury report. This is great news heading into a game against a team as ferocious as the Denver Nuggets. Especially when Nikola Jokic is having another MVP-caliber season. Speaking of the Nuggets, they’re also doing well on the injury front.

DaRon Holmes II is the only player on their injury report. He’s OUT as his right Achilles gets repaired. Regardless, a roster full of uninjured players ready to go will delight head coach Tyronn Lue. So let’s see who he might name in his squad for this game.

LA Clippers vs Denver Nuggets – predicted starting lineup and depth chart

The Clippers will hate to concede even an inch as they try to beat the Nuggets in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. With everyone healthy, Tyronn Lue has the rare luxury of deploying his best starting five — and he’ll likely do just that in tonight’s showdown. Well, let’s see what that lineup might look like. And we can also guess the rotation options for the Clippers tonight. And with the Nuggets’ depth, Lue will need his bench to step up, too.

Now, the Clippers being healthy bodes well for them. But does that mean they can beat the Nuggets? Let’s see. For starters, the Nuggets and the Clippers have played each other 4 times this season. Each team walked away with two wins in their regular-season meetings. However, a lot has changed since their last showdown in January 2025.

First, the Clippers have Kawhi Leonard this time. And they have looked like a different team with Leonard back on the court. They were the best offense in the league during their last 21 games. And the only difference between then and the rest of the season was the presence of Leonard. Moreover, Kawhi did not play against the Nuggets in any of the regular-season games, so he will definitely be the X-Factor in this series.

That said, the presence of Nikola Jokic for the Denver Nuggets complicates things for the Clippers. Whether the Clippers can limit his influence on the game will be crucial in determining who comes out on top tonight. One thing’s for sure — you’ll want to catch every second of this playoff clash. So make sure you’re there for the start of the Nuggets and Clippers’ Playoff series!