James Harden scores 41 as Clippers blow out Jazz amid optimism about Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard walked past the media in the Clippers’ locker room with a plate of food in his hands, his spirits apparently good. He even spoke to the media – as briefly as it was.

“What’s going on?” Leonard said. “What’s going on? What’s going on?”

What will happen with Leonard and when will he make his season debut after missing the first 27 games of the season with a right knee injury?

Before Clippers’ victory of 144-107 over the Utah Jazz at the Intuit Dome on Monday night, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue was asked about the team’s practice plans for Leonard and whether he would be on their upcoming trip to Dallas and Memphis.

“Um, not sure about leaving right now,” Lue said. “It’s not decided yet. So we look ahead to tonight, tomorrow, kind of get a chance to reevaluate everything and kind of go after tomorrow. See what happens.”

The Clippers, who saw James Harden explode for 41 points on 11-for-17 shooting, including seven for 11 on three-pointers against the Jazz, are off the next two days before playing the Mavericks on Thursday and Saturday. The Clippers conclude their road trip against Memphis on December 23rd.

Read more: Clippers can’t keep pace in second half in loss to Nuggets

Lue was asked about Leonard’s progress after the forward participated in two non-contact practice sessions last week.

“It went very well,” Lue said, “yeah, it went very well.”

So is Leonard close to returning, maybe in the next three or four games or in a few weeks?

“I’m not sure,” Lue said.

Lue was then asked who might know the answer and laughed before saying that Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, would be the one to ask.

“You talk to them,” Lue said. “You’re trying to get me in trouble, man.”

Lue was told reporters didn’t want to make any incorrect assumptions about Leonard’s potential return timeline.

“And I don’t want to say the wrong thing,” Lue said, laughing. “So, I don’t know.”

But Lue gave room for optimism.

“There’s a chance he leaves,” Lue said. “It’s not decided yet, so we’ll find out.”

Leonard played in late April, in Game 3 of the first round against the Mavericks.

He trained with USA Basketball in Las Vegas in July, but was eventually sent home and did not play at the Paris Olympics.

Read more: Clippers star Kawhi Leonard will return to practice in a limited role

Leonard averaged a team-best 23.7 points per game last season with 6.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He shot 57.3% from the field and 39.3% from three-point range.

Meanwhile, the Clippers continue without Leonard, who watched the game from the bench on his bobblehead night.

And in a game the Clippers tied their season high for points, it was Harden who pushed in a big way by becoming the ninth player in franchise history to have multiple 40-plus point games in a single season.

Harden had 24 points in the first quarter, the second most points scored in a single quarter in Clippers history. He was six for nine from the field, five for seven from three-point range and seven for eight from the free throw line in the quarter.

His work helped the Clippers open an 81-47 lead at the half and allowed them to run from there.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.