SAN ANTONIO -- Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard matched his career high with 32 points before leaving Wednesday's 112-88 win over the Miami Heat midway through the third quarter with a right thigh contusion.
Leonard took a knee to the thigh from Amar'e Stoudemire with approximately 3:10 left before halftime. He re-entered the game to start the second half but exited with 6:01 left in the third quarter after being fouled by Justise Winslow on a driving layup, causing the muscle to tighten up. Leonard made a free throw to complete a three-point play, then went straight to the locker room, followed by Spurs trainer Will Sevening.
"Just a thigh contusion," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said afterward. "It got real tight, so we just took him out. It was a good contusion ... so he had to come out. To put him back in wouldn't have made any sense."
Spurs point guard Tony Parker said such an injury usually requires minimal rest.
"Depends, but two, three days, you know,'' Parker said. "I don't think it's that bad."
Leonard's injury could have put a damper on the Spurs' 60th overall victory, but it appeared minor. He was having his most dynamic game of the season before the injury.
"As time goes on, he's learning how to feel his oats and channel it wisely," Popovich said.
Leonard hit 12-of-21 from the field, including 3-of-7 from 3-point range, in just 24 minutes, the fewest by a Spurs 30-point scorer since David Robinson on Nov. 8, 1995 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Leonard also had eight rebounds.
San Antonio earned its 36th straight home victory to open the season, leaving the Spurs a game shy of matching the record set by the Chicago Bulls in 1995-96.
Information from ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press was used in this report.
