Kawhi Leonard Injury Update: MRI Showed 'No Structural Damage'; Game 2 Appearance 'Doubtful'
It is a real mix of good news and bad news for the San Antonio Spurs as key player Kawhi Leonard's MRI results reportedly showed he does not have any structural damage. Unfortunately, his appearance for their next game has already been declared "doubtful."
The Spurs are up against one of the National Basketball Association's league leaders this season, the Golden State Warriors, for the Western Conference Finals.
ESPN reporter Michael C. Wright shared through his Twitter page, "Kawhi Leonard's MRI revealed no structural damage." However, it is still a question whether Leonard can make it back in time to help the team get a shot at the NBA Finals.
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While the team's injury report placed Leonard in a "doubtful" status, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich reportedly "thinks [Leonard] will be out" when they face the Warriors again Tuesday night.
The situation that caused Leonard to reinjure his left ankle has quickly become controversial. Many fans have called out Warriors' center Zaza Pachulia who allegedly took an unnecessary step while boxing out Leonard - a step that some believe led to the latter hurting his left ankle again.
Meanwhile, Leonard himself commented on the issue and said: "Did he step under it? Like on purpose? No, he was contesting the shot. The shot clock was coming down."
However, Popovich clearly disagrees. An upset Coach Pop addressed the media on Monday, saying: "The two-step lead with your foot closeout is not appropriate. It's dangerous, it's unsportsmanlike, it's just not what anybody does to anybody else. And this particular individual has a history with that kind of action."
The renowned NBA coach went on to enumerate several cases where Pachulia allegedly carried out questionable movements that might have harmed other players he was playing against.
The Spurs started strong in the first game, leaving the Warriors trailing behind by as much as 25 points early on in the game. The Spurs was able to close the first half of the game retaining a 20-point lead and appeared to have been able to maintain the strong start. However, Leonard reinjured his left ankle and had to exit the court early in the third quarter. The Warriors were then able to catch up in the latter parts of the game.
With that, the Warriors stole Game 1 — 113-111.
Leonard first sprained his left ankle after accidentally stepping on James Harden's foot during the Western Conference Semifinal Game 5.
