Clippers players listen to the national anthem before their preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Clippers star James Harden listens to the national anthem before their preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Fans enter the new Intuit Dome during a preseason game between the Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night in Inglewood. The arena has been hosting concerts since August, but this was the first basketball game played there. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Fans play basketball outside the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Clippers, before the team’s NBA preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night in Inglewood. The arena has been hosting concerts since August, but Monday night was the first NBA game played there. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Fans walk on a bridge to the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Clippers, before the team’s preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Fans take pictures as they ride an escalator during a preseason game between the Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The arena has been hosting concerts since August, but this was the first basketball game played there. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Two fans take a selfie outside the Intuit Dome before a preseason game between the Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night in Inglewood. The new arena has been hosting concerts since August, but this was the first basketball game played there. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Fans cheer before a preseason game between the Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Clippers star James Harden gestures after making a shot during the first half of a preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Dallas Mavericks’ Quentin Grimes (5) dribbles past the Clippers’ Kris Dunn (8) during the first half of a preseason game on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Clippers play the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of a preseason game on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The arena has been hosting concerts since August, but this was the first basketball game played there. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic, from left, Daniel Gafford and Kyrie Irving watch from the bench during the first half of a preseason game against the Clippers on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
An aerial view shows the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Clippers on Monday night in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Clippers’ Kevin Porter Jr., left, steals the ball from the Dallas Mavericks’ Klay Thompson during the first half of a preseason game on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Dallas Mavericks’ Klay Thompson, left, goes up for a layup as Clippers forward Nicolas Batum defends during the first half of a preseason game on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Dallas Mavericks’ Klay Thompson, left, and Quentin Grimes celebrate a basket by a teammate during the first half of a preseason game against the Clippers on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Clippers’ Cam Christie dunks during the second half of a preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The arena has been hosting concerts since August, but this was the first basketball game played there. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Dallas Mavericks’ Daniel Gafford, top, jumps to block a shot by the Clippers’ Kevin Porter Jr. during the second half of a preseason game on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The arena has been hosting concerts since August, but this was the first basketball game played there. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard, center right, and James Harden share a light moment on the bench during the second half of their preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Clippers play the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of a preseason game on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The arena has been hosting concerts since August, but this was the first basketball game played there. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Clippers’ Amir Coffey (7) tosses the ball to Kevin Porter Jr. (77) during the second half of a preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The arena has been hosting concerts since August, but this was the first basketball game played there. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Dallas Mavericks’ Klay Thompson, left, walks past Clippers star James Harden during the first half of a preseason game on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Clippers’ Amir Coffey (7) is defended by the Dallas Mavericks’ Quentin Grimes (5) and Naji Marshall (13) during the second half of a preseason game on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Clippers star James Harden makes his way down the court during the first half of a preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Dallas Mavericks’ Daniel Gafford (21) celebrates his dunk during the first half of a preseason game against the Clippers on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving watches from the bench during the second half of a preseason game against the Clippers on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A commercial jet passes by the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Clippers on Monday in Inglewood. The arena has been hosting concerts since August but hosted its first NBA game on Monday night. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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Clippers players listen to the national anthem before their preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
INGLEWOOD — The question hasn’t changed and neither has the answer. At least not yet.
When Clippers star Kawhi Leonard suits up for a game is anyone’s guess. The All-Star forward has not taken part in any team drills or played in any of the Clippers’ four preseason games or any games since Game 3 of last spring’s six-game first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. He missed the final eight games of the regular season before being limited in the postseason.
“Continue to keep rehabbing, keep getting better, keep checking the boxes,” Coach Tyronn Lue said, when asked about Leonard’s availability.
Leonard, who had an offseason procedure performed on his surgically repaired right knee, was on the bench again Monday night when the Clippers played the Dallas Mavericks in their first game of any kind at their new Intuit Dome. Leonard has been ruled out for Thursday night’s preseason finale against the Sacramento Kings, and his status for the regular-season opener against Phoenix on Oct. 23 remains uncertain.
Leonard said at the start of training camp that he was much more confident that he and the medical staff have a better handle on the condition, but Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said the two-time NBA Finals MVP’s return would depend on “how his knee responds to each phase.”
“When it comes to your body and your health, I don’t think you put a time frame on it,” Frank said earlier this month.
The Clippers aren’t waiting around for Leonard. They won for the third game of the preseason, 110-96, looking comfortable in their new surroundings.
They built a 20-point lead in the third quarter against the short-handed Mavericks before settling for a 14-point victory.
Dallas played without defending scoring champion Luka Doncic (calf contusion), All-Star guard Kyrie Irving (rest), Dante Exum (right wrist), Maxi Kleber (ankle) and Kessler Edwards (ankle).
With Leonard ruled out, much of the workload again fell to James Harden, who got off to a slow start but finished with 10 points, 12 eye-catching assists and three steals in 23 minutes, earning a chance to sit out the exhibition finale on Thursday.
“He’s been great. All camp we did a lot of running, and he told me in Seattle (where the Clippers played last Friday), when we left the football game, you got 12 more days of this (training camp) and I’m never going to run like this anymore,” Lue said.
“But he’s done all the right things. He’s been a great leader, on and off the floor. He was in the same situation a lot of times in Houston, so he’s up for a challenge.”
Tuesday’s game was another chance to test lineup combinations, although Lue stuck with the same lineup that started the previous two games. Norman Powell continued to show he’s a contender for a starting spot with 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting, three rebounds and one steal in 22 minutes.
Ivica Zubac posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds and had four steals in 24 minutes, while Derrick Jones Jr. scored 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting in 23 minutes.
“I thought last game, we got better. Took a step and right direction as far as transition defense, offensive rebounds, and taking care of the basketball,” Lue said. “So, we will continue to keep building off that. But we got to continue building the right habits, make sure we’re executing the right way on both sides of basketball.”
