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The Spurs are a victory away from eliminating the Rockets and advancing to the Western Conference finals for the first time since winning the NBA title in 2014.
But entering Thursday night’s Game 6 in Houston there are questions about whether Kawhi Leonard will be at full strength after rolling his ankle in an overtime win Tuesday night.
The Spurs’ MVP candidate was hurt when he stepped on James Harden’s foot about midway through the third quarter. He played limited minutes for the rest of regulation and did not play in overtime.
Leonard said after the game that the ankle was “a little sore” and he was limping. But he insisted that he’s fine and will be ready to go Thursday.
If Leonard is still hobbled, it will be another blow to a team already without Tony Parker, who suffered a season-ending quadriceps injury in Game 2.
Leonard was pragmatic when asked if he thinks his team is in control of the series after escaping with a win Tuesday night. “No,” he said. “Not in control until we win Game 6.” After getting blown out in their last trip to Houston, the Spurs know eliminating a team with its back against the wall will be a huge task.
“It’s going to be tough,” Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge said. “They’re a great offensive team (and) a bunch of competitive guys. They play way more confident at home (so) it’s going to be about (us) taking care of the ball, playing confident, just trying to minimize our mistakes out there.”
The Rockets are left to ponder their missed opportunity after failing to take advantage of Leonard’s absence in overtime of a 110-107 loss.
“We let one slip away,” said Harden, who recorded a triple-double but had a potential game-tying 3-pointer blocked by Manu Ginobili. “We still have an opportunity to protect home court and bring it back for Game 7.”