Spurs-Warriors was supposed to be a great series and the first real test for Golden State this postseason, and through 28 minutes of Game 1, that appeared to be the case as San Antonio jumped out to a 23-point lead before Kawhi Leonard’s ankle rolled over on a questionable foul from Zaza Pachulia.
That injury, which was an aggravation of the ankle injury that forced Leonard out of the end of Game 5 and all of Game 6 against the Rockets, has cause Kawhi to miss the last two games as the Warriors have dominated the Spurs to take a 3-0 lead in his absence. For those hoping for a return in Game 4 to salvage at least one more competitive game before the NBA Finals, that dream is likely dead after Gregg Popovich’s media availability on Sunday morning when he updated Kawhi’s status for Monday’s Game 4.
Pop said Kawhi likely isn't playing Game 4. Said it's not like he'll miraculously heal after being unable 2 go in Game 3.
— Michael C. Wright (@mikecwright) May 21, 2017
The Spurs would be smart to keep Kawhi out, down 3-0, as his long-term health is far more important at this point. That said, Leonard’s absence from Game 4 would likely spell the end of the season for the Spurs and a third straight sweep for the Warriors going into the Finals. After three years of waiting for a Spurs-Warriors series and such a stunning start to Game 1, the Leonard injury has taken all intrigue and competitiveness out of the series and turned it into another matchup in which the opposition is just overwhelmed trying to keep up with Golden State for 48 minutes.
With the Eastern Conference Finals also an apparent route, at this point we’re just trying to power through the next three days of games in order to get to the Cavs-Warriors grudge match in the Finals. That wasn’t supposed to be the case, at least in the West, but Leonard’s injury has created another void in competition in this year’s NBA playoffs.
