Kawhi Leonard re-injured his left ankle in Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday afternoon, and it caused some outrage from Spurs fans and league staffers.
The play occurred in the third quarter when Leonard was attempting a jumper and Warriors center Zaza Pachulia over-contested it:
Kawhi Leonard injures his ankle again and this time he's headed to the locker room. pic.twitter.com/gG6cVy6Sse
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) May 14, 2017
This was Leonard’s second time injuring his ankle in the game. He injured it minutes prior to that play after landing on the foot of a teammate:
Kawhi Leonard appears to tweak his ankle on this play… pic.twitter.com/lni8sFqom3
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) May 14, 2017
Pachulia, thought by many as being a dirty player during his time in the league, immediately drew outrage from Spurs fans. They claimed he over-contested Leonard’s shot intentionally, causing his injury.
Even a league executive believed so:
NBA exec texted me on #Zaza: "That was awful. It was with intent and it was absolutely dirty." #spurs #warriors #kawhileonard
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 14, 2017
“That’s really stupid,” Pachulia said on the allegations that he intentionally injured Kawhi. “I hate anybody going down like that. I’m an athlete too.”
Kawhi, for one, does not think Pachulia meant to cause any harm.
“No, he was contesting the shot. The shot clock was coming down,” Leonard said postgame.
The Spurs announced that Leonard would not return to the contest shortly after his injury. Golden State, who once trailed by 24, went on a quick 16-0 run after Leonard left the game.
Leonard will undergo an MRI on his left ankle, according to The Undefeated, but was seen walking around the training room without a noticeable limp after the game.
