Spurs' Kawhi Leonard in concussion protocol, out Saturday vs. Warriors

So much for the Best-of-the-West showdown between the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night.

Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs small forward who could have continued his recent surge in the MVP race, has entered the NBA’s concussion protocol because of a hit he endured against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night and will not play. The Warriors, who are trying to survive during this extended stretch without Kevin Durant and who are just two games up on the Spurs for the top seed in the Western Conference, would be well-advised to take advantage of this development.

Especially considering the significance of the stakes.

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San Antonio won a season-opening matchup against Golden State (129-100), meaning they would win the potential head-to-head tiebreaker if they won again on Saturday. The two teams play for a third and final time in San Antonio on March 29. For both teams, earning the top seed is the difference between facing a below-.500 team like the Denver Nuggets (29-35) or Portland Trailblazers (28-35) in the first round of the playoffs rather than a more formidable foe like Oklahoma City (36-29) or Memphis (36-29).

The 25-year-old Leonard is averaging 26.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game this season. This won’t be his last chance to make another MVP case in a high-profile game, as the Spurs host fellow MVP candidate LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers on March 27 before the final Warriors game two days later. On March 31, Leonard and the Spurs play at Russell Westbrook’s Thunder.

Follow Sam Amick on Twitter @Sam_Amick