After sustaining a sprained left ankle in Game 5 of the Spurs’ second-round playoff series against Houston that sidelined him late in the fourth quarter and in overtime, Kawhi Leonard did not hesitate when he was asked whether he’ll be available for Game 6.
“I’m going to play,” he said.
The Spurs, however, were clearly not so sure. They listed him as questionable for Thursday’s game in Houston.
It’s always tough for a team to navigate whether to allow a guy to play and risk further injury and when to bench him, especially with a deeply competitive player such as Leonard, who is willing to play through pain, and especially with an injury such as a sprained ankle, where a team has to largely rely on how a player says he feels.