The latest chapter of the Los Angeles rivalry comes with a big question and a firm answer. Will Kawhi Leonard play? The Clippers have upgraded him to questionable with a left knee contusion. Will Austin Reaves suit up? No — the Lakers guard remains out with a left calf strain. Those two updates set the tone for Thursday night at Intuit Dome (Jan. 22, 7:00 p.m. local/10:00 p.m. ET), streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

This is more than a routine injury report. It’s the hinge of a game plan for both benches. Leonard is the Clippers’ two-way engine. Reaves is a steady secondary maker for the Lakers. Their statuses shape who handles the ball, who gets the best defender, and where the matchups bend in crunch time.

Why Kawhi’s status is the swing factor

Leonard missed the last two to three games after taking knocks to the knee earlier in the month. He had been pushing through an ankle sprain as well, and the team opted to give him time to heal from both. The knee contusion is not seen as serious, according to reporting, but the Clippers have been cautious. He was even sent home mid East Coast trip after the knee flared up following a Jan. 10 meeting with Detroit. Before the pause, he had been capped around 30 minutes per game.

On the floor, Leonard has been in peak form. Various reports put him near 28.2 points per game — a career high — with around 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.9 threes and 2.2 steals on elite 63.3% true shooting. In short: he tilts the court. Without him, the Clippers went 2–1 in the recent stretch. They were blown out 138–110 by Chicago but steadied for a 110–106 win over Washington.

If Leonard is out or limited, expect Kobe Sanders to draw a start and James Harden to carry even more of the creation load. That’s a different ecosystem. Sanders brings length and energy, but he’s no Kawhi as a half-court hub. Harden’s usage would spike, and the spacing must hold.

“Kawhi at 80% still bends a defense. If he suits up, switch everything.”

Lakers’ outlook without Reaves

Austin Reaves will miss another one with his left calf strain, stretching a long absence that has reached at least 14 straight games and approaches 19, per reports. Oddly, the Lakers have handled that blow well: they’re 15–8 without him in this span. Rookie guard Adou Thiero is also out with a right MCL sprain.

Los Angeles (Lakers) enters on a high after back-to-back wins over the Nuggets (115–107) and the Raptors (110–93). LeBron James continues to pilot the attack, checking in around 22.5–23.9 points, 6–6.9 rebounds and 6.4–6.9 assists per night across various outlets. The scoring isn’t MVP-level volume, but the control, pace, and reads are still elite.

Without Reaves, the Lakers often simplify: more LeBron on-ball, more drive-and-kick, and heavier minutes for their wings who cut and crash. The defense has also sharpened of late, with better transition balance and cleaner closeouts.

“Reaves is out again, but 15–8 without him says the Lakers know their roles.”

Numbers that frame the night

Leonard’s career-high scoring speaks for itself, and Harden has been steady as a primary creator, landing in the 22.9–26.0 points and 6.9–8.0 assists range, per reports. For the Lakers, LeBron remains the metronome in the 22.5–23.9 points range. For wider league context, Luka Doncic is pacing the scoring race around 33 points per game, per multiple outlets.

Team records have been listed with some variance across sources. One notes the Clippers at 19–43 and the Lakers at 26–42 around this game window, with Leonard having appeared in 30 of 43 games. Regardless of the exact tallies, recent form and availability tell the clearer story heading into tip-off.

Clippers’ injury pile and what it means

The Clippers are banged up beyond Kawhi. Derrick Jones Jr. is out with a right knee MCL sprain. Bogdan Bogdanovic is out due to a left hamstring/injury management. Bradley Beal remains out with a left hip fracture, and Chris Paul is out and not with the team. That’s a lot of missing shot creation and wing depth.

That puts the burden on Harden to set the table and on role players to finish plays. If Kawhi plays, even on a minutes cap, the shot diet improves and the defense can switch more. If he sits, spacing becomes fragile, and the Lakers can load up on Harden’s pick-and-rolls, stunt at shooters, and live with tough step-backs late in the clock.

“If Harden cooks early, the Lakers’ drop coverage might evaporate fast.”

Matchups, X-factors, and the coaching chess

If Kawhi plays: Expect the Clippers to test the Lakers’ bigger wings with mid-post isolations and empty-side pick-and-rolls. Kawhi’s ability to hit from the elbows forces early help, which opens corner threes. Harden can then attack tilted coverage, especially versus drop and at switches he likes.

If Kawhi sits: The Clippers should push pace off misses and hunt early threes for rhythm, because grinding half-court sets against a set Lakers defense might be tough without their best mismatch scorer.

For the Lakers, the formula is simple: keep the paint protected, win the glass, and run. LeBron will probe the Clippers’ weak-side discipline with skip passes. Without Jones Jr. and Bogdanovic, L.A. can target mismatches on the wing. If the threes fall at an average clip, that’s often enough when the transition defense is tight.

How to watch and when it starts

The game tips Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. local time (10:00 p.m. ET) at the Intuit Dome. You can stream it live on Amazon Prime Video.

Prediction and what’s at stake

One national preview kept it blunt: “I’m taking the Lakers, and I don’t think it’s complicated,” forecasting a 119–113 Lakers win. That call leans on recent Lakers form and the Clippers’ injuries beyond Kawhi. If Leonard returns, even in a limited role, the gap narrows quickly.

Either way, the path to a win is clear. For the Clippers: get Harden downhill, win the three-point math, and pray for Kawhi’s return to tilt the half-court game. For the Lakers: ride LeBron’s tempo, trust the 15–8 template without Reaves, and keep the defensive shell intact.

It’s another high-stakes night under the bright lights. One star is questionable. Another is out. And the city will be watching.