Kevin Durant’s month-long absence from the Golden State Warriors while he tries to recover from a calf injury has thrown the NBA Finals totally out of whack. Now, with the Warriors down 3-1 to the Raptors and facing a potential dynasty-ending Game 5 on Monday, Durant’s return seems like the only thing that could possibly save them from disaster. Today, like all days before it, did not provide any real clarity about Durant’s health.
This morning brought news that Durant would be a participant in practice today, and that depending on his performance he might in fact be available to play in Game 5:
That practice just wrapped up. How did it go? Eh, well:
Meanwhile, the general vibe around the team seems to be one of frustration at Durant’s continued absence. After Friday’s loss in Game 4, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported that Durant’s inability to play is “causing a mixture of confusion and angst among several of his teammates.” Fellow Warriors beat writer Marcus Thompson added this cryptic tweet:
So it looks like we’ll have to wait another day to find out Durant’s official status for Game 5. All that can be said with any certainty is that if he doesn’t play, and the Warriors lose, the resulting reports about how the team handled this injury are going to be delicious.