Kawhi Leonard leaves Clippers, joins family amid L.A. fires

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard left Denver before the team's game against the Nuggets on Wednesday night due to the wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

Denver will be without center Nikola Jokic for the second straight game due to illness.

Leonard departed with the support of Los Angeles coach Tyronn Lue to deal with his family and his house.

"You definitely have to take care of home. ... Totally had my support 100 percent," Lue said in his pregame availability. "Going back, checking on his family and kids, making sure they're well. And he got back, and they're doing OK, so just happy and thankful for that."

Leonard purchased a $17 million mansion in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles in 2021. Fire officials said Wednesday that 1,000 structures in Pacific Palisades were destroyed.

Leonard missed the Clippers' first 34 games of the season while rehabbing a right knee ailment. He scored 12 points in a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday and eight points in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night.

Jokic, who has a non-COVID illness, sat out Denver's 118-106 loss to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.

Jokic, the reigning league MVP, ranks second in the NBA in scoring (30.5 points per game) and assists (9.7 per game) and third in rebounding with (13.0 per game). — Field Level Media/Reuters