Kawhi Leonard Might Be Able To Play in Game 1 of Western Conference Finals
Kawhi Leonard might be able to play in the San Antonio Spurs' first game against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA's Western Conference Finals.
Before Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals, the San Antonio Spurs' medical team released an injury report on Wednesday that said Leonard "is questionable for tomorrow's Spurs-Rockets game."
Normally, players are placed in a questionable status when they catch some minor injury from a previous game and their condition is still under observation, thus not yet getting the clearance to play for an upcoming game
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At the time, Leonard's team, the San Antonio Spurs, was fighting against the Houston Rockets in the NBA's Western Conference Semifinals.
Leonard got a sprained left ankle after landing on James Harden's foot during Game 5, which they played on May 9, where the San Antonio Spurs won, 110-107.
The stellar small forward was seen limping right after landing on Harden's foot at the 5:37 mark of Game 5's third quarter. With 4:57 minutes left in the fourth quarter, he was brought to the sidelines but he obviously wanted to contribute in the tight game.
The Spurs sent Leonard back to the court with 2:59 minutes left but was brought out again when the game only had 34.5 seconds remaining on the clock since the coaching team had decided he needed to rest his injured ankle despite the tied score. Leonard was sidelined the entire five-minute overtime period of Game 5.
As San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich explained about what happened in game 5: "[Leonard] didn't want to come out, obviously. We let him play a little while just to see what he was going to be like, but it was obvious that he couldn't go. So I think everybody else picked it up very well."
After their winning game, Leonard told the press that his ankle was sore but he would definitely be playing for game 6. However, that obviously changed with the injury report issued on Wednesday.
Despite Leonard being sidelined for game 6, the Spurs won, 114-75, not just the game but also their semifinal series. They now advance to the Western Conference Finals where they will be facing the Golden State Warriors.
This might be an uphill battle for them since the Warriors are still undefeated this postseason. The Spurs are also one player short since their point guard, Tony Parker, had also gotten injured in the semifinal round and will not be playing in the team's remaining games due to a ruptured left quadriceps tendon.
When Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference Finals comes around, Leonard is expected to play, especially since he has a few days to rest up, be cleared and prepare for the upcoming game against the Warriors.
Game 1 between the San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors will take place on Sunday, May 14, at 3:30 p.m. EDT.
