SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Kawhi Leonard plans on returning "soon" from a leg injury, after missing all but nine games so far this season.Leonard held an impromptu, four-minute press conference Wednesday following Spurs practice. He won't travel with the team on their upcoming three-game road trip to Golden State, Oklahoma City and Houston.But the 26-year-old Leonard says his return is imminent."Soon. I don't have a set date right now," he said. "But I've just got to keep doing what I'm doing. The progress that I'm making has been great."He's been riding a stationary bike and participating in three-on-three drills to simulate the physical contact of games, but has done so with staff members and "not my players."The Spurs have struggled without their star forward. Other teammates with various injuries have included Tony Parker, LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Gay, Danny Green and Kyle Anderson. San Antonio has lost seven of its last 10 games, falling from third to fifth in the Western Conference.Leonard... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Spurs are preparing to play without star forward Kawhi Leonard this season, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said.Leonard has missed all but nine games this season as he battles right quadriceps tendinopathy."We only have X number of games left this season and he's still not ready to go," Popovich said Wednesday. "And if by some chance he is, it's going to be pretty late into the season and it's going to be a tough decision. How late do you bring somebody back? That's why I'm just trying to be honest and logical. I'll be surprised if he gets back this year."Tendinopathy is a disease of the tendon that includes tenderness and pain, particularly during exercise.Leonard began experiencing discomfort in his leg late in the offseason, which caused him to sit out the team's training camp and preseason. Neither Leonard nor the team knew the severity of the injury, which forced the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year to miss the first 27 games of the season.Leonard... [More]

LeBron James had a trophy in his hands and a smile on his face.That was Sunday at the All-Star Game, when James again rose above the NBA's best in winning a game and MVP honors.What he really wants is to be celebrating in the postseason, not midseason.The NBA's sprint to the finish begins Thursday with James riding high but starting again from back in the pack as Cleveland tries to catch Toronto and Boston in the Eastern Conference."We just added four new guys before the break, and we have a lot of work to do," James said. "So I really don't like to think that too far ahead. But obviously winning championships is what it's all about. That's what this league is all about and hopefully at the end of the road then I have the Cavs there to actually compete for one, to be in a finals representing the East."The Golden State Warriors are also in the unusual position of pursuers, after red-hot Houston passed them for the league's best record with 10 straight wins leading into the All-Star break.... [More]

Coaches get fired. Players get fired up.A lot happens over the course of the NBA season. In this wacky week, it came in one day.The Cavaliers lost more games and apparently some patience with Kevin Love, and Jason Kidd lost his job in Milwaukee. Not even the stoic Spurs were immune on the manic Monday, with ESPN reporting there were differences between Kawhi Leonard and the team due to frustration in his recovery from a quadriceps injury.In a time of turbulence around the NBA, the only smooth sailing, it seems, remains by the Bay Area.The Golden State Warriors seem to be drama free, in part because of lessons Steve Kerr learned while playing for Gregg Popovich and Phil Jackson. They understood that losing games didn't mean having to lose control, and their championship teams weathered whatever storms popped up quickly and quietly."Wonderful balance of this is our job and we should be passionate about it, we should work our tails off every day and we should be competitive and want to win... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kawhi Leonard is headed back to the sidelines, and he'll stay there until his leg is ready.The San Antonio Spurs decided to shut their All-Star forward down Wednesday, saying Leonard would be out indefinitely as he continues his recovery from injury."We didn't feel he was ready. His confidence level wasn't there, so we decided to give it some more time," coach Gregg Popovich said before the Spurs played the Brooklyn Nets.Leonard has played in just nine games after missing the beginning of the season because of right quadriceps tendinopathy. He also was sidelined briefly because of a shoulder injury.Popovich said Leonard hadn't sustained another injury, but also didn't seem confident in his ability to play at the level that had him finishing third in the voting for NBA MVP last season."He didn't reinjure it or anything but he was having pain, but not right after games, but maybe the next day at noon or that kind of thing and so the pain wasn't dissipating," Popovich said.... [More]

Isaiah Thomas' debut with Cleveland last week came with the same rules as when Kawhi Leonard rejoined the Spurs.His coach could use him, just not too much.Both were playing under the dreaded minute restrictions, which coaches learn to accept but will never learn to love."It really is a pain in the neck," San Antonio's Gregg Popovich said.Popovich has dealt with it this season with Leonard, Tony Parker and Danny Green. In their cases, as well as Thomas, Philadelphia's Joel Embiid and others returning from injuries, the team's medical staff gives the coach guidelines for how much workload they can handle and how often — a challenge even for a coach who's been at the forefront of resting players."It's difficult because it's very strange to try to figure out rotations. You can't do it," Popovich said. "You want to put somebody on the court, but you can't because of minutes, so you put somebody else on the court that shouldn't be on the court based on matchups or what you're trying to do defensively... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid went from doubtful to dominant, using a sprained right hand that nearly sidelined him to instead rock the rim, swat shots and stop the Spurs."I want to be out there with them. I don't want to quit on them," Embiid said.Ruled out by the 76ers before tipoff, Embiid made the call to push through and play, and then dealt San Antonio a rare bad hand in Philadelphia. Embiid had 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead the 76ers to a 112-106 win over the Spurs on Wednesday night.The Sixers needed all 35 minutes from Embiid to knock off short-handed San Antonio and snap a 12-game losing streak to the Spurs.It was the same old Embiid during the 76ers' fast start. He grabbed a rebound and had a putback for the first score of the game and had six points and six rebounds in the first quarter.He slammed home an alley-oop in the third and never even looked at his hand as he sank a free throw to finish the play."I was fine. Nothing to worry about," Embiid said.Embiid, who blocked... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was in the starting lineup against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night after his coach said he was "very doubtful" to play because of a sprained right hand.Embiid had said his hand was swollen and it made him unable to shoot. Embiid, who leads the Sixers with 23.9 points and 10.9 rebounds in 27 games, was hurt Saturday when he took a hard fall against the Suns.Coach Brett Brown said before the game that Embiid was not likely to play. Embiid used a soft touch to sink a couple of shots during pregame drills, and that was enough to convince the Sixers he could play through the injury."When you see it, you see the bruising on his palm," Brown said. "When you go back and look at how he fell, you're surprised that's all it is. It's a club hand. And it's his shooting hand."The Sixers had been used to playing without their cornerstone center. He missed his first two seasons with foot injuries and was limited to 31 games last season.... [More]

G-F Kawhi Leonard scored 18 points on 4 of 11 shooting in Saturday's loss at Detroit. He played 27:34 which is the most in his six games since returning from a quadriceps injury.

F Kawhi Leonard did not play Thursday as part of his injury management program. San Antonio announced the decision about 45 minutes prior to tip-off. Leonard, who has played in only five of the Spurs' 36 games because of a quad injury, scored a season-high 21 points in a season-most 26 minutes Tuesday in the Spurs' 109-97 victory over Brooklyn.

F Kawhi Leonard scored a season-high 21 points while seeing the court for a season-most 26 minutes Tuesday."Every game we see a little more of the rust go off, a little of the hesitation goes away," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Leonard. "We are trying to fit in his game and get him feeling comfortable with the ball. Every game is a little bit better."Leonard said he felt good but still is not at his best. It is taking him a while to get through the process of playing limited minutes and getting back into the flow with his team. He was not surprised when Popovich asked him to return to the court with the game on the line."I had been just trying to stay ready in case he called me," Leonard said. "The hardest things have been finding my wind, running the play calls, building the chemistry again, the defensive rotations -- really everything. I have been taking my time, not skipping any steps, so I can be healthy and ready down the road."

PHOENIX -- Tyson Chandler slammed home an alley-oop dunk off a Dragan Bender inbounds feed with four-tenths of a second left, and the Phoenix Suns held off the Memphis Grizzlies for the second time in six days with a 99-97 win on Tuesday night.Memphis tied the score at 97 when Jarell Martin slammed home a Tyreke Evans miss with six-tenths of a second left and the teams seems headed to overtime. With the subsequent inbounds play moved to midcourt, Bender threw the ball just over the far side of the rim, where Chandler was waiting to slam it down.Devin Booker had 32 points in his return to the lineup for the Suns, who beat the Grizzlies 97-95 on Dec. 21 when Evans missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. TJ Warren finished with 17 points for Phoenix, which gave coach Jay Triano his 100th NBA win.Evans had 25 points and Marc Gasol scored 18 for Memphis, which lost for the 20th time in 24 games.Mavericks 98, Raptors 93DALLAS -- J.J. Barea scored a team-high 20 points to lead Dallas past Toronto.Dirk... [More]

PHOENIX -- Tyson Chandler slammed home an alley-oop dunk off a Dragan Bender inbounds feed with four-tenths of a second left, and the Phoenix Suns held off the Memphis Grizzlies for the second time in six days with a 99-97 win on Tuesday night.Memphis tied the score at 97 when Jarell Martin slammed home a Tyreke Evans miss with six-tenths of a second left and the teams seems headed to overtime. With the subsequent inbounds play moved to midcourt, Bender threw the ball just over the far side of the rim, where Chandler was waiting to slam it down.Devin Booker had 32 points in his return to the lineup for the Suns, who beat the Grizzlies 97-95 on Dec. 21 when Evans missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. TJ Warren finished with 17 points for Phoenix, which gave coach Jay Triano his 100th NBA win.Evans had 25 points and Marc Gasol scored 18 for Memphis, which lost for the 20th time in 24 games.Mavericks 98, Raptors 93DALLAS -- J.J. Barea scored a team-high 20 points to lead Dallas past Toronto.Dirk... [More]

F Kawhi Leonard, who has missed 30 games this season because of right quadriceps tendinopathy, sat out to rest as part of his comeback plan.Leonard has played only four of San Antonio's 34 games this season and already is assured of playing in the fewest games of his seven-season career. Leonard has averaged 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in about 17 minutes per game.

F Kawhi Leonard, recovering from quadriceps injuries, will play the second of back-to-back games Thursday at Utah after sitting out Wednesday.

F Kawhi Leonard, who missed the first 27 games of the season with a quad injury, played his first home game of the year and scored seven points in almost 16 minutes, all in the first half as San Antonio beat the Los Angeles Clippers Monday. Leonard is on a minutes restriction as he plays his way back into shape and into the Spurs' rotation. "It's hard for a player like Kawhi to be out there for 15 minutes," Spurs center Pau Gasol said. "It's a process. We are happy that we have him the time we have do. Obviously, he tries to be aggressive and test his legs out but it's tough for him to be himself when he's used to playing 35 minutes and scoring 25 points every game."

F Kawhi Leonard, playing in just his second game after a quad injury, sat out the second half after adding 12 points, two steals and two blocks before the break against the Rockies on Friday night..

F Kawhi Leonard shined in his season debut (13 points, six rebounds in 16 minutes), but the Spurs lost after he exited in the third quarter.Leonard missed the first 27 games of the season because of a quad injury. Upon returning to the starting lineup, he quickly displayed his all-around excellence, shooting 6-for-12 and adding one assist, one steal and one block. Coach Gregg Popovich stuck with the plan of a gradual reintroduction. Leonard made his way to the locker room toward the end of the third quarter, raising a few eyebrows, but his early exit from the floor apparently was for planned treatment.

SF Kawhi Leonard will be on a minutes restriction when he makes his season debut on Tuesday night against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center, San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. Popovich said he plans to be cautious with the 26-year-old Leonard, who has been sidelined with quadriceps tendinopathy. "Any team would like to have one of their best players back. That's fairly logical," Popovich said. "The team's been playing well. We hope that it'll continue as Tony (Parker) and Kawhi get more minutes. There will be adjustments all the way around. Minutes will be different for different players. Just typical, it's not that complicated." Leonard recorded career highs in points (25.5) and assists (3.5) last season, while also notching 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. He was voted first team All-NBA and named first team All-Defense.

SF Kawhi Leonard (quadriceps) could make his season debut for the Spurs as soon as this week, saying he "should be back soon." The soft-spoken Leonard has missed the team's first 24 games due to the injury and said he is feeling good during his first interaction with reporters since Sept. 25. "I'm feeling pretty healthy right now," Leonard said. The Spurs have kept their intentions tight to the vest but speculation persists that Leonard could see action in Friday's home game against the Celtics.