It was Leonard’s first game since suffering a right quad injury that forced him out of last spring’s Western Conference finals. He last played May 14 in a Spurs loss to the Warriors.
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Leonard made his presence felt early with a midrange jumper just under three minutes in.
He also wrestled away an offensive board and hit this shot.
Expect Leonard to play similar minutes in the next few games. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters before the game (according to ESPN.com) that he will limit Leonard’s playing time for now.
“There will be adjustments all the way around. Minutes will be different for different players. Just typical, it’s not that complicated,” Popovich said, per ESPN.
The Spurs dipped to 19-9 with the loss. They remain third in the West behind the Rockets and Warriors.