Clippers Receive Hefty Fine From NBA for Violating Rule

Ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers’ season finale against the Houston Rockets, L.A. apparently did not divulge the true health availability of three key players. The Clippers would go on to fall, 116-105, on April 14 to wrap up their season at a 51-31 record and the Western Conference’s No. 4 seed.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the league is dinging the Clippers to the tune of $25,000 for the team’s failure to properly relay that All-Star forward Paul George, Sixth Man of the Year contender Russell Westbrook and reserve guard Norman Powell would sit the game out.

As Charania writes, the NBA is charging Los Angeles with violating its rules regarding injury reporting.

Speaking of the Clippers, Los Angeles’ 4-5 Western Conference Quarterfinals series against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, April 21, at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET. The action will be broadcast nationally via ABC.

Questions continue to abound about the health of the Clippers’ best player, Kawhi Leonard. The 6-foot-7 two-time NBA Finals MVP missed the final eight games of the 2023-24 regular season due to right knee inflammation. Per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, Leonard is considered questionable to join his comrades on the court. Leonard has been unable to finish (and in one case start) postseasons for Los Angeles in all of the Clippers’ previous three years due to knee injuries.

He inked a three-year, $149.7 million contract extension during the season to remain with Los Angeles through the 2026-27 season where he’ll earn $50.3 million at age 36. George, meanwhile, has failed to come to terms with the Clippers on an extension agreement so far.

Per BetMGM Sportsbook, the Mavericks are -1.5 point favorites to win against the Clippers in Game 1 on Sunday.

It’s been an up-and-down season for Los Angeles. When the team traded to acquire future Hall of Famer and former 2018 MVP guard James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers, pundits generally considered it a championship-courting level-up. Instead, L.A. lost its first six games with Harden available in November. Then, however, the Clippers turned things around in a big way.

Los Angeles suddenly looked like the title contender everyone was expecting it to be midseason, with Harden’s excellent court vision and sharpshooting helping elevate the games of George, Leonard and Westbrook, who had been starting at the point prior to the trade, moving to the bench. It finished the season a bit more unevenly, and Leonard’s uncertain health status is making things look ominously similar to the team’s last three playoff runs.