Kawhi Leonard Suffers Ankle Injury vs. Rockets

San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard suffered an ankle injury in Game 5 against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday and was unable to finish the game.

Chris Mannix of The Vertical provided the latest details:

After the game, Leonard told reporters he plans to play Game 6:

Leonard wasn't on the floor for the final possession in regulation and then remained on the bench throughout overtime. Despite his late absence, the Spurs managed to escape with a 110-107 victory at home to take a 3-2 series lead.

Before leaving the game, Leonard had 22 points on 8-of-21 shooting, 15 rebounds and four assists.

Leonard built a strong MVP candidacy in 2016-17 by averaging 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game during the regular season. While Russell Westbrook or James Harden may edge him out for the award, the fact he's in the discussion illustrates how well he played this year.

He continued this level in the playoffs with 28.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game heading into Tuesday.

No player is more important to the Spurs than Leonard, and their hopes of dethroning the Golden State Warriors for Western Conference supremacy hinge on his health. If he's less than 100 percent going forward, San Antonio's title hopes will suffer.