LOS ANGELES -- The NBA fined the LA Clippers $50,000 for comments made by coach Doc Rivers that "were inconsistent" with Kawhi Leonard's health.

Leonard sat out the first of a back-to-back set of games for the second time this season on Wednesday night when the Clippers lost to the Milwaukee Bucks. The NBA made it clear that the Clippers were compliant with league rules in the team's decision to sit the All-Star for load management of a knee injury.

But Rivers was asked several questions before the game about Leonard and his health. The coach told the media that Leonard "feels great," that there is no reason to be concerned and that the team has to make sure Leonard stays feeling great. The NBA then fined the Clippers for statements, include those by Rivers, that were inconsistent with Leonard's health while also detailing Leonard's knee injury.

"Following additional review of the LA Clippers not playing Kawhi Leonard in last night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, the NBA has confirmed that the team's decision to sit Leonard for management of an injury was consistent with league rules," the league stated in a press release Thursday. "The team has reasonably determined that Leonard is suffering from an ongoing injury to the patella tendon in his left knee and has been placed by the team at this time on an injury protocol for back-to-back games."

Before training camp, Leonard, 28, said he felt much better than he did at the same time a year earlier and that his load management would be different than how Toronto handled it when he played in a total of 60 games during the regular season. Leonard then played in 24 postseason games, averaging 30.5 points and 9.1 rebounds to lead Toronto to its first championship while earning Finals MVP honors as well.

Last week, Leonard sat out at Utah in the first of a back-to-back set of games before doing the same against Milwaukee on Wednesday. Both games were nationally televised. He is expected to play Thursday night against Portland in another game that will be on national TV.

"He feels great," Rivers said Wednesday. "But he feels great because of what we've been doing. And we are just going to continue to do it. There's no concern here. But we want to make sure.

"I think Kawhi made the statement he's never felt better," Rivers added. "It's our job to make sure he stays that way. And that's important. But he played a lot of minutes in the playoffs last year. And it's not a health thing. Really it is, in some ways, we want him to just keep feeling better and getting better."