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Tim BontempsESPN
LOS ANGELES – Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out of Sunday night's game against the Los Angeles Lakers with a sore left foot.
Leonard jammed his left foot late in the fourth quarter of Toronto's win over the Phoenix Suns Friday night, sitting out the game's final 2:42 as a precaution. He then participated in the games of Saturday at the UCLA, and said he was not determined about his status for Sunday's game.
Raptors goal coach Nick Nurse said before the game that Leonard would sit and that second-year forward OG Anunoby would start in his place.
"It shifts us around a little bit," Nurse said.
The Lakers hope that the buy-out Tyson Chandler can give them some much-needed size and protection in limited minutes, as well as veteran leadership.
Raptors coach Nick Nurse said Kawhi Leonard would continue to sit out on a back-to-back set of plays, a plan that Leonard agrees with because he's "thinking about the long road."
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This was set to be the best place to play The Lakers of this season – the lone time the fans here would have a chance to serenade the league's best two-way wing player with cheers ahead of him being an unrestricted free agent next summer.
The Raptors have been very young with Leonard in the early going, and Nurse already had told ESPN after Friday's game in Phoenix that Leonard would be sitting on the back of the team indefinitely, having already sat down one half of each of Toronto's first two season.
There was no word on whether Leonard would be available for Monday night's game in Utah against the Jazz.
Toronto's bail is understandable, given Leonard missed all but nine games with the San Antonio Spurs last season due to tendinopathy in his right quad. So far this season, he's looked after 26.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.0 steals in seven games for the Raptors while shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 44.8 percent from 3-point range.
"I just wanted to get healthy," said Leonard after Friday's win. "I feel healthy now, and they just do not want to rush into things.
"It's a long season, so we're thinking about the long road."
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