LOS ANGELES — The last time Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant faced each other in the playoffs, the anticipated showdown during the 2019 NBA Finals lasted all of 11 minutes 57 seconds.
Then Durant felt the “pop” as his Achilles’ tendon ruptured. He was 30, and didn’t play another NBA game for 18 months.
Two years later, a 30-year-old Leonard was dribbling during the 2021 postseason when he felt the twinge in his right knee. The tear of his anterior cruciate ligament would sideline him for 15 months.
