Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard won't suit up for Wednesday's game against the Golden State Warriors.
Per Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports, Leonard won't play due to a hip injury, while Fred VanVleet, who's nursing a back injury, will suit up:
Kawhi (hip) is OUT tonight vs Golden State. VanVleet (back) will play.
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) December 13, 2018
This is the second straight game missed by the 27-year-old. In 22 games for the Raptors, he's logging in 26.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per contests. He has shot 48.8 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from 3-point country.
Leonard's injury will prevent him from matching up against Kevin Durant — one of the best offensive talents in the NBA today. It would've been another classic clash between a premier defensive player and a scoring prodigy. Prior to the game, Durant admitted that Leonard is better than before:
“I think he's better than where he was… I think he's more seasoned, more experienced and more confident in his style of play, and it translates into success with this Raptors team.”
Durant believed that Leonard would play despite the hip injury. He was probably looking forward to another classic duel with the defensive stalwart. In their first meeting, Durant exploded for 51 points but fell just short. Leonard, for his part, had an impressive 37 points in the Raptors' victory.
But as luck would have it, Kevin Durant may have to wait until the postseason (if both of them make it to the NBA Finals) to go up against Kawhi Leonard again.
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