San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets: Game 6 Prediction, Betting Odds, Kawhi Leonard News

The San Antonio Spurs can advance to the Western Conference Finals with a win over the Houston Rockets Thursday night in Game 6 of their 2017 NBA Playoff series. If the West’s No.2 seed wants to end the series on the road, they’ll probably have to do so with a hobbled superstar.

Kawhi Leonard battled knee and ankle injuries in Game 5, forcing him to sit out for most of the fourth quarter and all of overtime in San Antonio’s 110-107 victory. The small forward might not be 100 percent at tip off in the potential clincher, but his prediction is that he will take the floor in the team’s most important game of the season.

“Yeah, I'm going to be able to play,” Leonard told reporters after Game 6. “It was frustrating because I wanted to play. But I was happy seeing my teammates out there putting in a good effort and getting the win.”

Leonard was able to play some after landing on James Harden’s foot in the third quarter of Game 5, but he was clearly affected by the injury and ultimately pulled for good. Winning at home without the small forward in crunch time was one thing, but defeating the Rockets on the road when Leonard might still be hampered won’t be easy.

“It's going to be tough. They're a great offensive team,” Leonard said. “They're a bunch of competitive guys. They play great at home. It's going to be tough. It's going to be about taking care of the ball, playing confident and trying to minimize our mistakes.”

Even before Leonard got hurt Tuesday night, Houston was keeping pace with San Antonio on their home floor. The Rockets led the Spurs by four points at the time Leonard suffered his injury, and they blew a fourth-quarter lead with the two-time Defensive Player of the Year on the bench.

Because of Leonard’s status, the Rockets are seven-point favorites in Game 6, via OddsShark (214 over/under). The betting line was just 5.5 points in Game 5 in favor of the Spurs, and an ineffective Leonard Thursday night will probably mean the series will conclude with a deciding seventh game.

Leonard is averaging 27.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists on 19 shots per game in San Antonio’s three wins over Houston. Those averages go down to 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists on 14 shots in the Spurs’ two defeats.

Leonard has been crucial in keeping Harden in check at times, and that might not happen if he’s not 100 percent. Even as he played poorly down the stretch of Game 5, Harden still managed to score 30 points and register a triple-double. He’s just the fifth player in NBA history to average at least 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in a single postseason.

Houston has already managed to beat San Antonio twice this series, and the Spurs seem to have little answer for the Rockets when they are on fire from behind the arc. It seems only fitting that this series will be decided in a Game 7 with Houston having one of their offensive outbursts in a Game 6 victory.

Prediction: Houston over San Antonio, 118-107