INGLEWOOD – The Clippers’ game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night was going to be a reunion of two players once linked by an area code but now separated by 2,741 miles.

Kawhi Leonard vs. Paul George: All-Stars who played five seasons together in Los Angeles but now wear opposite jerseys.

But fans hoping to see the former teammates go toe-to-toe on the court will have to settle for perhaps a brotherly hug or handshake between the two before the game. That’s all the contact the two will share because, while George will be on the court for the 76ers at kickoff, Leonard will be on the bench dealing with his problematic right knee.

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said Monday that Leonard will not play this week and his return date is unknown. The team keeps his status a secret, with Lue only saying that he is making progress.

Meanwhile, Jorge, who signed a four-year, $212 million contract with the Sixers this summerhe made his season debut on Monday in a close loss to the Phoenix Suns. He missed his new team’s first five games after suffering a bone bruise in his left knee in a preseason game.

Although rusty, George, one of the league’s most skilled players, improved the Sixers (1-5) overall with spacing, gave them more size on the perimeter and freed up Tyrese Maxey to score without worrying about the rest of the team. the offensive. .

“My condition was better than expected. I was tired. There were times where I felt exhausted, but, you know, I wanted to get over that to deal with the resistance,” George, who scored 15 points on 4-of-14 shooting in 32 minutes, told reporters afterward.

No matter what jersey he wears now, Clippers center Ivica Zubac said it will be good to see George. who was first paired with Leonard in the summer of 2019 in an effort to bring a championship to Los Angeles

“It’s going to be fantastic,” Zubac said. “He was a great teammate, a great friend and it will be fun to play against him. “It’s going to be exciting.”