SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Portland Trail Blazers vs Los Angeles Clippers

Game two of Thursday night’s doubleheader features Kawhi Leonard’s return from a night off of load management to face the Portland Trail Blazers at home on Thursday night, 10:30 p.m. EST/ 9:30 p.m. CST.

Kawhi’s name has been in the press lately, though, its been anything but positive. Much of the discussions about the two-time Finals MVP has been about his decision to tend to his resting schedule in mending a recovering patellar tendon issue from two years ago – ala “Load Management” – and let’s just say, basketball purists have experienced their discontent with Leonard’s lack of wanting to play big primetime games in favor of optimal conditioning when the playoffs roll through.

Tonight, those talks can be put to bed for at least a couple of hours with his comeback in Clippers doing battle inside the Staples Center against Damian Lillard and the 3-4 Trail Blazers.

The Clippers battled back in a loss to the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks but need tonight to get their momentum back. Granted, it was as good as a loss as they could have, competing against a championship-favored team while shorthanded. Their defense suffered when Kawhi wasn’t on the floor and were absolutely slashed inside by the league MVP, as he put up 38 points while flirting with a triple-double (38 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists).

The Blazers are in the same predicament of trying to get back on track after embarrassingly losing to the star-less Golden State Warriors while letting Eric Paschall score 34 on them. The Blazers would love nothing more than to upset a Western Conference foe while letting Damian Lillard get back to his absurd scoring ways while being accompanied by an efficient CJ McCollum.

Some other storylines tonight – Moe Harkless plays against the Blazers as a Clipper, since they traded him away at the end of last season. Kawhi comes back to a Clippers team that is 5-1 whenever he steps on the floor, and spirited defender Patrick Beverley gets to dance with an old “friend”, offensive juggernaut Damian Lillard.

This should be fun.