Golden State Warriors managed to keep their dreams of a three-peat alive with a 106-105 win over the Toronto Raptors in NBA Finals’ Game 5. Still, this precious victory came with a huge price as Warriors’ star Kevin Durant tore his right Achilles tendon.
Durant, who was out for the last month with a calf strain, finally returned to court on Tuesday night in order to help his team avoid elimination. The 30-year-old All-Star opened the game in a great fashion, as he scored 11 points in just 12 minutes.
But 2 minutes and 9 seconds in the second quarter, Durant attempted to drive against Toronto’s Serge Ibaka before stumbling and losing the ball. He went down on the floor holding his right calf before being helped off the court.
Although Kevin Durant is scheduled to undergo an MRI in order to determine the severity of the injury, Warriors’ general manager Bob Myers already confirmed that they fear the worst.
“It’s an Achilles injury,” – said Myers after the game. “I don’t know the extent of it. He’ll have an MRI tomorrow. Prior to coming back he went through four weeks with a medical team, and it was thorough, and it was experts and multiple MRIs and multiple doctors, and we felt good about the process.”
If Durant really tore his Achilles, then he will most likely miss the entire 2019/20 NBA season. This fact will influence not only his future but also the entire league. Instead of hitting the free market this summer, Durant now might opt into his contract option with Golden State and become a free agent next year.
Durant averaged 26.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game this regular season.
