Clippers continue to rest banged up Kawhi Leonard

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard isn’t healthy three weeks into the season, according to the NBA, which says that as a result the Los Angeles Clippers can rest their new superstar.

He was on the bench against the visiting Milwaukee Bucks for a national TV game Wednesday night, the first half of a back-to-back for the Clippers. They host Portland on Thursday night, and coach Doc Rivers said Leonard would play.

“Kawhi Leonard is not a healthy player under the league’s resting policy,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement Wednesday. “And, as such, is listed as managing a knee injury in the LA Clippers injury report. The league office, in consultation with the NBA’s director of sports medicine is comfortable with the team medical staff’s determination that Leonard is not sufficiently healthy to play in back-to-back games at this time.”