NBA Rumors: The San Antonio Spurs announced Monday afternoon that Kawhi Leonard (ankle) will officially miss Game 2 against the Golden State Warriors
After blowing a 20-plus point lead against the Golden State Warriors in the second half of Game 1, the San Antonio Spurs will now face the tough task of having to take on Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green in Game 2, on the road, without Kawhi Leonard in the lineup.
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich announced Monday afternoon that Kawhi Leonard, who underwent an MRI on his injured left ankle, will miss at least Game 2.
Possibly more, depending on what the MRI reveals. And with the amount of passion that Pop spoke with Monday, there’s probably a good chance that Kawhi could be out a while, if not for the remainder of the playoffs.
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"[via ESPN]San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich spoke out angrily Monday about Kawhi Leonard’s ankle injury, saying the All-Star forward will likely miss Game 2 of the Western Conference finals and calling out Zaza Pachulia for his “dangerous” and “unsportsmanlike” play."
With Kawhi in the lineup, the Spurs raced off to a 25-point lead over the Warriors. The moment Kawhi left the game, the Warriors went on an 18-0 run to jump right back into the contest. Freeing himself from the grip of Kawhi, Kevin Durant led all scores with 40 points in the contest.
The Warriors will have the opportunity to take a series-commanding 2-0 lead with a win on their home court Tuesday night. The good news for Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs is that Game 3 isn’t scheduled until Saturday.
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That would give Kawhi five full days of rest before Game 3, should he need additional time to rest his ankle. Leonard, in the 24 minutes before he exited Game 1, logged 26 points and eight rebounds. He also added three assists.
Interesting, the Spurs were 8-1 this season without Leonard in the lineup (including playoffs).