NBA: Top 10 moments of 2017

Which moment is No. 1?
Which moment is No. 1?

#9 Zaza Pachulia knocks Kawhi Leonard out of West Finals

youtube-cover

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.

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

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...

Cleveland Cavaliers Nation! You can check out the latest Cleveland Cavaliers Schedule and dive into the Cavaliers Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.

Quick Links

Edited by Yash Matange
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications