Kawhi Leonard Ruled Out for Spurs vs. Rockets Game 6 with Ankle Injury

The San Antonio Spurs will not have their best player Thursday as they attempt to close out the Houston Rockets in Game 6 of their second-round playoff series.

Kawhi Leonard will not suit up after suffering an ankle injury in Game 5, the team announced on Twitter. 

According to CBS Sports' Matt Moore, Jonathon Simmons will start in place of Leonard. 

News of Leonard's absence comes after the Spurs announced Wednesday he was questionable with his ankle sprain even though he previously said he would play, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN. San Antonio holds a 3-2 lead in the series but will need to find a way to play without its MVP candidate and clear two-way leader spearheading the charge.

Leonard tallied 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game this season while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from three-point range. He finished third in the league in player efficiency rating (27.62) behind only Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, per ESPN.com.

The two-time reigning Defensive Player of the Year guards the opponent's best player on a regular basis, and head coach Gregg Popovich has used him on James Harden at times in the Houston series.

While his impact will be dearly missed, his teammates should have confidence after they prevailed in Game 5 110-107 even with Leonard on the sidelines in overtime and the final minutes of regulation and Tony Parker out with a ruptured quadriceps tendon.

Manu Ginobili notched 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and no play was more important than his block on Harden's potential game-tying three in the final seconds. Danny Green added 16 points, six of which came on a three-pointer and an and-1 in the last minute. Patty Mills added 20 points, while Simmons provided stellar defense on Harden down the stretch.

If those players can replicate their efforts, the Spurs will have a chance to finish the series and shift attention to the Western Conference Finals. If they can't, the series may come down to Leonard's availability in a possible Game 7.