Spurs' Leonard Out for Game 2; Popovich Calls Out Pachulia: 'This Is Crap'
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF & AP) — Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich announced Kawhi Leonard will not play in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.
Leonard re-injured his left ankle in the third quarter of Game 1 when Warriors center Zaza Pachulia's foot landed underneath Leonard on a jump shot.
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One day later, Popovich was still fuming over the foul committed by Pachulia.
"Who gives a damn about what his intent was? You ever hear of manslaughter? You still go to jail when you're texting and end up killing somebody, but you might not have intended to do that. All I care about is what I saw," Popovich said to reporters Monday capping off a nearly four-minute rant about Pachulia and the play that injured Leonard.
Popovich is not planning to call the NBA to demand further discipline for Pachulia, who was called for a personal foul on the play, but made it clear where he stands.
"A two-step, lead with your foot closeout is not appropriate. It's dangerous, it's unsportsmanlike, it's just not what anybody does to anybody else and this particular individual has a history of that kind of action."
Adding to Popovich's frustration is the fact that Leonard was the Spurs player injured on the play. With Leonard sidelined in Game 1, Golden State outscored San Antonio 58-33 over the final 19 minutes to erase a huge deficit and win 113-111.
"If he (Kawhi) would've played and they (Golden State) ended up winning, I go get dinner, have a glass of wine, wake up the next day, go to practice and move on. But this crap."
Popovich scoffed at being asked how much more difficult beating the Warriors will be without Leonard, who up until the injury was the best player on the floor in Game 1.
"How would it be if Curry didn't play? How much more difficult would that be?"
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