No timeline on Leonard return; Spurs down 7
SAN ANTONIO — Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Kawhi Leonard is “getting a little bit better every day” but didn’t disclose a timetable for when the forward might return to the lineup.
Leonard suffered a bruised right quadriceps in the third quarter of Wednesday night’s 112-88 win over the Miami Heat, and the team announced it would hold out the forward for Friday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies at the AT&T Center as the Spurs look to break a tie with the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls for the second-longest regular-season home win streak.
In addition, the Spurs will rest Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili for their games Friday and Saturday. They also will sit Danny Green, Boris Diaw and Patty Mills on Friday. Popovich routinely rests his veterans to keep them healthy for the postseason.
Leonard’s quadriceps bruise isn’t considered serious, and Popovich has said on numerous occasions that he likes to err on the side of caution when dealing with injuries.
“It’s nothing,” Popovich said. “No injury, just a bruise. But it’s really tight.”
Popovich declined to say whether Leonard would travel with the team for its next two road outings: Saturday at Oklahoma City and Monday at Memphis.
“We’ll see,” Popovich said.
Leonard appeared to originally suffer the quadriceps injury just before halftime against the Heat, when he took a knee to that area in a collision with Amar’e Stoudemire. Leonard returned in the third quarter and was shaken up again on a driving layup when he was fouled by Justise Winslow.
Leonard remained in the game to knock down the ensuing free throw to complete the three-point play before heading to the locker room for treatment. He finished with 32 points, which tied his career high for scoring.
San Antonio has captured 45 consecutive regular-season victories at home, which ties with the 1995-96 Bulls for the second-longest streak in NBA history.
