Kawhi Leonard Injury News Update: Source Says Player is 'Expected' at Game 1 vs Golden State
Forward Kawhi Leonard is "expected" to play in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals of the National Basketball Association between the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors on Sunday night.
A source reportedly told ESPN that Leonard is most likely going to make it to their next big game. He was sidelined on Wednesday against the Houston Rockets due to a sprained left ankle.
The report added that Leonard was actually cleared to join his team at the NBA Western Conference Semifinals' Game 6. However, the coaching team decided to let Leonard completely recover from his injured left ankle so he can be 100 percent ready when their team faces the Golden State Warriors.
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ESPN added that Leonard was given complete treatment for his sprained left ankle on Thursday while his team played against Houston.
The team's decision to give Leonard enough time to recover proved to be correct, considering that the player got the needed time to totally heal without hurting their gameplay. The San Antonio Spurs was still able to win the series against the Houston Rockets with a commanding 39-point lead, 114-75.
Leonard suffered from a sprained left ankle during their close match with Houston in Game 5 after accidentally landing on James Harden's foot during the third quarter. Leonard managed to stay in the game for a few minutes before he was eventually sidelined.
Game 5 was undoubtedly a close match as it required an overtime, and not having Leonard was a risk but it still ended in favor of San Antonio, 110-107.
Despite having to sit out the crucial parts of Game 5, Leonard still emerged as the team leader that night as far as the scoreboard was concerned. He contributed 22 points and 15 rebounds in that game. Leonard got huge help from veteran Manu Ginobili who also planted a risky but heroic block on Harden's attempt at the three-point line seconds before the 5-minute overtime ended.
Prior to Game 6 against Houston, the medical team of San Antonio put Leonard in a "questionable" status.
San Antonio Spurs is also missing another key player, Tony Parker, who is not going to play for the rest of the season due to a ruptured left quadriceps tendon that he acquired during their second semifinal game against Houston.
On the other hand, the Spurs is said to be proving their skill in adapting to drastic gameplay changes as a team since ESPN has noted that stats show the Spurs has won five out of five games where key players Leonard and Parker are not present.
The NBA Western Conference Finals between San Antonio and Golden State will commence on Sunday, May 14, at 3:30 p.m. EDT on ABC.
