Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard will be available to play on Tuesday against the Sacramento Kings after missing the last two games with what the coaching staff described as “load management,” according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps.
Center Jonas Valanciunas and forward OG Anunoby will not play.
Leonard is coming off a season-long injury that forced him to miss 73 games last season, as the former San Antonio Spurs wing injured his quad in the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors.
The Raptors forward has dealt with small injuries this season and has also been limited for back-to-back outings, as the medical staff hopes to keep him in tip-top shape for the playoffs.
Toronto managed to win both games without Leonard, now 8-2 in the last 10 games since the start of the new calendar year.
Leonard has played in 36 of the team's 48 games this season, scoring a career-high 27.6 points per game and pulling down a career-best 7.9 rebounds per game with his new team.
Despite coming off a big-time injury, The Klaw is averaging the most minutes of his eight-year career (35 per game) while also seeking the most contact (7.7 free-throw attempts per game).
The Raptors staff has surely aided that pursuit by smart management of his minutes and appearances, keeping Toronto within a half game of the top spot in the East.
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