In the last game that took place at Scotiabank Arena, the Toronto fans chanted and cheered for franchise icon Kyle Lowry, despite now playing for the 76ers. 2019 NBA Champion Kawhi Leonard will not get the opportunity to feel the same love on Friday, as the former All-Star has been ruled out with a nagging ankle issue. Leonard was initially listed as questionable, while Ivica Zubac (ankle) and John Collins (groin) are also questionable to suit up north of the border.
The Clippers have been surging in the standing of late — after a terrible start to 2025-26 — winning 11 of their past 13 games. Leonard has been healthy and available for the whole run, leading the team with 32.7 points per contest on 50.7% shooting. So, you could definitely say that his presence will be missed on Friday evening.
With Leonard off the floor this season, it’s unsurprisingly James Harden that tends to pick up the slack. In fact, Harden sees his usage rate jump from 25.3% when sharing the court with Leonard to an eye-popping 35.1% with the injury-prone forward in street clothes. Still, even with another future Hall of Fame player around, Los Angeles has struggled immensely with Leonard on the bench in 2025-26, getting outscored my 7.3 points per 100 possessions within the split.
With the Leonard news, the Clippers have dropped to 2.5-point underdogs in Toronto on the DraftKings Sportsbook. However, with the Raptors down three starters of their own, Los Angeles would appear to have some value on the moneyline at +110.
