DALLAS (AP) — Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out of Sunday's Game 4 of a first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks because of right knee inflammation. Leonard played in the second and third games of the series after missing the final eight games of the regular season and the series opener. The six-time All-Star never looked comfortable in the Clippers' 101-90 loss in Game 3, finishing with nine points on just seven shots, his fewest in a playoff game in 10 years.
The Clippers will be without Leonard for a critical Game 4 against the Mavericks.
MIAMI (AP) — There's been a notion in the NBA for years, one that says the game changes when the postseason rolls around. Joe Mazzulla disagrees. In the eyes of the Boston coach, nothing really changes from the regular season to the playoffs. It's a game. Show up and play. That's what he expected when the season started in October, that's what he expects now that it's April and it sounds like that's what he'll expect if the Celtics are still playing when the NBA Finals roll around in June, too.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are still alive. And the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics were all rolling. Close games are hard to find in these NBA playoffs. Entering Sunday, 19 of the first 26 games of the first round were all decided by at least 10 points. All four games on Saturday were double-digit decisions: Orlando beat Cleveland by 23, Oklahoma City beat New Orleans by 21, Boston beat Miami by 20 and the Lakers beat Denver in the “close” game of the day by