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Spurs win 4th in a row, finding stride with Leonard back

Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

When Kawhi Leonard returned from a broken hand last season, the San Antonio Spurs went on a 19-game winning streak to build momentum ahead of a playoff run that would ultimately finish with their fifth banner being hung. History may be repeating itself.

The Spurs won for their fourth consecutive game on Tuesday and their third in a row since Leonard returned from a 15-game absence due to a torn ligament in his right hand. Leonard scored 17 points with a game-high 15 rebounds in Tuesday's 109-99 road victory over the Denver Nuggets, but his impact goes well beyond his numbers.

In 25 games, Leonard is averaging 15.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists, stellar numbers but ones that undersell his value. The Spurs are first-round fodder without him and legitimate threats to repeat as champions when he's healthy.

To wit, Tuesday's win moves the Spurs to 18-7 when Leonard plays, compared to a 9-9 mark when he's absent. What's more, the team gets better on both ends of the floor when their defensive ace is suited up:

Spurs, before Tuesday O-Rtg D-Rtg Net
with Leonard 107.4 93.9 13.4
without Leonard 102.7 103.1 -0.5

Including Tuesday's game, the Spurs have now outscored opponents by 179 points in Leonard's 800 minutes. In the 1,309 minutes he's been off the floor, they've outscored opponents by just nine points.

The Spurs are in unfamiliar territory with their playoff life not all but assured at this point in the season, but getting Leonard back for an extended stretch of play should allay any fears of them falling out of the playoff picture.

The Nuggets, meanwhile, continue to struggle, even at home where they're historically very strong. The loss is their fourth in a row and drops them to 18-24 overall and 12-10 in Denver, spoiling a terrific, 26-point, 14-rebound performance from Kenneth Faried.

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