Kevin Durant Limps to Locker Room with Calf Injury vs. Rockets; Won't Return
Golden State Warriors superstar forward Kevin Durant suffered a right calf strain in Game 5 of his team's NBA Western Conference semifinal playoff series versus the Houston Rockets on Wednesday and was quickly ruled out.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told Tim Kawakami of The Athletic that it's "incredibly unlikely" Durant plays Game 6 on Friday at Houston.
He also confirmed to reporters that Durant did not suffer an Achilles injury, which could have more serious implications:
Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported Durant will get an MRI Thursday. Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated provided a postgame Durant update as well:
Durant, who suffered the injury late in the third quarter, scored 22 points in 32 minutes. The Warriors won 104-99.
KD is on his way to becoming one of the most decorated players in NBA history with two championships, two NBA Finals MVP awards, a regular-season MVP and 10 All-Star selections. However, the 30-year-old has dealt with a variety of injuries in recent years, forcing him to miss at least 10 games in four of the past five seasons. Most recently, an ankle injury temporarily sidelined him in March.
If he misses time, veteran swingman Andre Iguodala could move to the 3, with Kevon Looney reassuming his starting role at the 5. Shaun Livingston, Alfonzo McKinnie and Jonas Jerebko are other candidates to see more playing time on the wing.
The star-studded Warriors feature more than enough talent to overcome a short-term injury for Durant. But an extended absence would be a more serious issue as they attempt to chase down their third straight NBA title, especially with DeMarcus Cousins already sidelined with a torn left quad.
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