Leonard to start for Spurs in debut after missing 27 games

Dec 13, 2017 - 12:53 AM DALLAS (AP) — San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard will start in his season debut Tuesday night at Dallas after missing 27 games with a quadriceps injury. Leonard has been recovering from right quadriceps tendinopathy, a condition that causes pain and weakness in the knee. He last played in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals last season, when he injured his left ankle. Golden State swept the series on the way to the NBA title. The 26-year-old Leonard averaged a career-best 25.5 points last season and was a contender for the MVP award that went to Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook. He is a two-time defensive player of the year. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball