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Kawhi Leonard enters concussion protocol, out for big Warriors-Spurs tilt

eric freeman
The Spurs will be without their MVP candidate in one of the biggest games of the season. (AP)
The Spurs will be without their MVP candidate in one of the biggest games of the season. (AP)

Saturday’s nationally televised matchup between the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs could go a long way towards deciding which team ends up with homecourt advantage throughout the 2017 NBA Playoffs. Depending on what happens Friday night when they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves, the slumping Warriors will enter the AT&T Center up either 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 games for the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed and the best record in the league. A Spurs win on Saturday night would change the shape of the race, whereas a Warriors win could get them back on track and open up a significant lead with a little more than a month left to play in the regular season.

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Unfortunately, that big-ticket contest just got a little less exciting. Spurs superstar and surging MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard has entered the NBA’s concussion protocol and has been ruled out for the game with Golden State. Here’s the Spurs’ statement on the matter:

The injury appears to have happened late in the third quarter of Thursday’s Spurs loss at the Oklahoma City Thunder. Leonard drew a shooting foul from Enes Kanter with 2:45 remaining and made both free throws, but he was subbed out at the next stoppage and did not return. Gregg Popovich isn’t exactly sure what transpired, but the team is understandably being careful (via ESPN):

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he wasn’t sure what happened to his All-Star forward.

“He got hit in the mouth or the cheek or the head or something. I’m not sure which. So the trainer thought he should sit,” he said.

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The loss of Leonard is obviously a big one for the Spurs in such a key game. However, it’s also a blow to any neutral fans hoping to see both teams bring their best to such a significant game. With Kawhi out for San Antonio and the injured Kevin Durant still unavailable for Golden State, the matchup will lack major star power on both sides. The result matters plenty, but the game itself just won’t be the same.

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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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