Wednesday night proved to be full of mixed emotions for Golden State Warriors. While they managed to win Game 5 against Houston Rockets and take 3-2 lead in the series, Warriors also saw their best player Kevin Durant going down with what could be a serious injury.
Late in the third quarter, with Warriors being up by one point, Durant went for a mid-range jumper and scored the basket. He then took two steps toward his own half before starting to limp and holding his right ankle. Durant immediately went to the locker room and didn’t return to game.
“We’re all obviously disappointed for him,” – said Warriors coach Steve Kerr during a postgame news conference. “And excited about the win, but concerned for Kevin and disappointed for him. He’s been on this incredible playoff run, and I’m proud of our guys for pulling the game out. And we’ll see how Kevin’s doing tomorrow.”
While there were some initial concerns that Kevin Durant might have torn his ACL, Warriors think it’s a minor injury and are treating the issue as calf strain. Still, the severity of the injury will be known after Durant undergoes an MRI.
“We don’t know,” – said Warriors general manager Bob Myers when asked about the matter. “It’s a hard one to say, it really is. I don’t know until we see [the MRI]. And then [the doctors] determine the grades of these things, and then we’ll know.”
Kerr did add that he thinks it is unlikely that Durant ends up playing in Game 6 of the series which is scheduled for Friday night.
If Kevin Durant’s injury proves to be a more severe one, which could heavily influence Golden State Warriors’ chances to win their third consecutive NBA Title. Durant was not only the team’s best player in the regular season, but he was also a leader in the playoffs and their go-to guy when games were on the line.
Durant played 39.1 minutes on average in the playoffs while averaging 34.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
