Spurs win as Kawhi hurt

SAN ANTONIO — The Spurs were in a tough spot after Kawhi Leonard hurt his ankle in the second half.

That’s when Danny Green and the Spurs’ supporting cast stepped up.

Green scored seven of his 16 points in overtime, helping San Antonio top James Harden and the Rockets 110-107 on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead in their second-round playoff series.

Harden had 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He had a chance at a potential tying 3-pointer in the final seconds of OT, but was blocked from behind by Manu Ginobili.

“I remember saying to a couple of the guys this is what we live for, these moments, to play in these situations,” Spurs point guard Patty Mills said.

Leonard had 22 points and 15 rebounds in 38 minutes before exiting with an injured right ankle. He stepped on Harden’s foot while running back in transition with 5:37 left in the third quarter and then played limited minutes before sitting out overtime.

The Spurs already were without Tony Parker, who will miss the rest of the playoffs after surgery to repair a ruptured left quadriceps tendon.

“It was frustrating because I wanted to play,” Leonard said. “But I was happy seeing my teammates out there putting in a good effort and getting the win.”

Leonard said he will play in Game 6 on Thursday in Houston.

Green made a go-ahead 3-pointer and converted a three-point play to make it 109-107 Spurs with 30.1 seconds left. He also made a foul shot down the stretch to help San Antonio hold on.

“I think we all made a decision to be aggressive,” Green said of Leonard’s absence, “regardless of what was going to happen. We weren’t going to lose the game being on our heels.” —AP