Zaza Pachulia responds to Gregg Popovich comments, reiterates respect for Spurs

Zaza Pachulia responds to backlash for his role in Kawhi Leonard's ankle injury.

Golden State Warriors center Zaza Pachulia responded to comments by San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich who called the closeout "dangerous" and "unsportsmanlike."

"I have a lot of respect for coach Pop and the Spurs organization," Pachulia said.

​Pachulia was at the center of the play that reinjured Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard's ankle in the second half of the Warriors' 113–111 win in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

Leonard first injured his ankle in the semifinals and missed Game 6 against the Houston Rockets. He tweaked the ankle when he landed on Pachulia's foot after a shot.

Watch Pachulia's response below:

Zaza Pachulia addresses the play on Kawhi Leonard and Pop's comments (Part I). pic.twitter.com/QAwY4A3bmv

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 15, 2017

Zaza Pachulia addresses the play on Kawhi Leonard and Pop's comments (Part II). pic.twitter.com/TkWO4k1qEh

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 15, 2017

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Game 2 will be played on Tuesday night.