#9 Zaza Pachulia knocks Kawhi Leonard out of West Finals
Sorry Spurs fans, we go from one great moment for the Spurs to their lowest point of the season. As the Spurs and the Warriors faced off in the Western Conference Finals, many expected a closely contested series, but the Warriors were the consensus favorites. It sure didn't start off that way, however.
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The Spurs pounced on some careless Warriors turnovers and led by 20 at the half. The lead was 23 when the now infamous Zaza closeout occurred with 7:54 left in the 3rd. As Leonard came down after attempting a shot, Zaza took an extra step, which led to Kawhi landing on his foot and rolling the same ankle that had got hurt earlier in the game.
The Golden State Warriors went on to win the game and the series with ease after Leonard's injury. It's a shame that we'll never know how that series would have turned out with Kawhi in the lineup. Opinions flew all over the place as to whether he did it on purpose but of course we can't say that for certain.
Coach Pop, however, had some rather harsh words for Zaza, which seem a bit ironic considering he used to defend Bruce Bowen back in the day...
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