Tonight’s pertinent Game 6, which could be the last of the 2016-17 season for the Houston Rockets, will be played without the Spurs’ franchise player Kawhi Leonard.
Coach Gregg Popovich had previously said Leonard will be a game-time decision for tonight’s game.
Kawhi tweaked his left ankle in the third quarter of Game 5 when he landed on the foot of James Harden. Pop has aired on the side of caution when it comes to speaking about the injury, careful not to divulge too much information on the situation until the closing hour before tonight’s tip-off.
According to the Spurs’ Twitter account, they are resting Kawhi for Game 6 as he isn’t feeling up to par so he can heal ahead of either Game 7 or Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, as Pop said, “you factor [that] in as much as you can.”
The Spurs played all of Game 5’s overtime without Leonard and most of the fourth quarter, and were still able to come away with the win.
Tonight’s game is not undoubtedly Houston’s to win, though you can’t count San Antonio out with vets like Pau Gasol and Manu Ginobili still healthy and ready to play in the pivotal Game 6.
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