Kawhi Leonard gives Spurs 32 points, injury scare in home win
The San Antonio Spurs nearly encountered a major setback on their march to making league history.
All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard left the host Spurs’ 112-88 victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night with a bruised right quadriceps, but it did not appear serious.
Leonard matched his career high with 32 points in 24 minutes but exited with 6:01 remaining in the third quarter after sinking a free throw to complete a three-point play after being fouled on a driving layup by Justise Winslow.
The extent of the injury was not immediately known, but San Antonio’s team doctors remained in the team’s box suite — possibly indicating that the injury didn’t require urgent attention.
San Antonio earned its 36th straight home victory to open the season, leaving the Spurs a game shy of matching the record set by the Chicago Bulls in 1995-96.
The Spurs have won 45 consecutive regular-season games at home over two seasons.
Mudiay, who had 27 points and 11 rebounds, was sandwiched between two defenders and nearly lost the ball before regaining control and launching the game-winning shot.
Derrick Favors’ dunk with 1.6 seconds left lifted Utah, which moved a half-game ahead of host Houston for the final playoff spot in the West.
Gordon Hayward had 22 points for the Jazz, who trailed by as many as 18 in the second half before rallying for their first lead of the game with about four minutes left.
James Harden had 26 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and a career-high eight steals in the Rockets’ third straight loss.
Dallas made the game interesting with a late push to trim a 15-point deficit to five with 12.3 seconds left, but the Blazers made five of their six free-throw tries down the stretch to hold off the Mavericks.
Chicago dropped a game behind Detroit for the final playoff spot in the East.
Toronto All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry sat out, resting a sore right elbow.
Reserve Dennis Schroder scored 23 points, Kyle Korver connected on five three-pointers, and Atlanta won on the road to split this week’s home-and-home series.
Briefly: A federal judge in Los Angeles dismissed a $600 million antitrust lawsuit filed by former Clippers owner Donald Sterling against the NBA and his estranged wife, Shelly Sterling. ...