Gregory Shamus/Getty Images Kevin Durant ruptured his Achilles tendon in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on June 10, 2019.
Welcome to the roundup of must-see sports news from Wednesday, highlighted by Kevin Durant speaking out for the first time since injuring his Achilles in the NBA Finals and emotions running hot in the Baltimore Orioles dugout as Chris Davis goes after his manager.
All this and more as we get you up to speed with the sports world on this Thursday!
Kevin Durant Speaks Out For First Time Since Achilles Injury, Says Warriors Not To Blame
Spending day in LA with KD: First interview in two months, Kevin Durant on choosing Brooklyn, how things ended in Golden State, who’s to blame for his injury, rehab update and untold stories.
Kevin Durant broke his silence in a recent interview with Yahoo Sports, speaking out for the first time since rupturing his Achilles tendon in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.
The 10-time NBA All-Star suffered the injury in his first game back after missing a month from straining his calf in the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs in early May. The Golden State Warriors organization was criticized for permitting Durant to take the court that night in Toronto.
When asked if the Warriors mishandled the injury, Durant told Yahoo Sports:
“Hell, no. How can you blame [the Warriors]? Hell, no,” Durant said. “I heard the Warriors pressured me into getting back. Nobody never said a word to me during rehab as I was coming back. It was only me and [director of sports medicine and performance] Rick [Celebrini] working out every day. Right when the series started, I targeted Game 5. Hell, nah. It just happened. It’s basketball. S— happens. Nobody was responsible for it. It was just the game. We just need to move on from that s— because I’m going to be back playing.”
Durant would go on to say that playing in Game 5 of the Finals was his goal and that he felt good heading into the game.
“No matter what the series was, I was aiming for Game 5,” he said. “That’s why I played when it was 3-1. No matter what, I just wanted to play in the Finals. I just wanted to hoop, especially if I could be out there. I was feeling good leading up to it. I was working out every day. I was gradually getting back to myself doing the two-a-days. I was really locked in on my game and trying to get back. I really wanted to play in that series.”
The two-time NBA Finals MVP chose Brooklyn as his next destination, agreeing to a four-year deal with the Nets at the end of June. Fans will have to wait a while, however, to see the dynamic duo of Durant and his close friend Kyrie Irving take the court together, as Durant is expected to miss the 2019-2020 season, as he rehabs from the Achilles injury.
Let’s build it together, @KDTrey5 👊
But if you ask Durant, it appears as if he’s not ruling out a return this season.
“I don’t know,” Durant said. “Just like I didn’t know I was going to get hurt. I don’t know. We’ll see. I’m early in the process. So I’m grinding every day. I’m not even trying to think that far. That’s not going to do me any good. So I just try to focus on what I can control right now, second by second. Who knows? We’ll see.”
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant walking without any crutches just 52 days after rupturing his achilles.
(via @TMZ_Sports)
Yankees Pummel Orioles, Set MLB Record; Frustrations Boil Over For Baltimore As Chris Davis Goes After Manager
#Birdland Bombers.
The New York Yankees continued their sheer dominance of the Baltimore Orioles this season, homering five times en route to a blowout 14-2 victory on Wednesday night.
The Bronx Bombers set a new MLB record for home runs against a single team in one season, with 52 home runs hit against the Orioles, breaking the previous mark held by the 1956 Yankees against the Kansas City A’s.
Gio not missing a beat.
The Yankees homered 16 times at Camden Yards this week, achieving a new franchise record for most home runs in a three-game series.
That’s a 4-hit night. Welcome to Cam-den.
Frustrations boiled over on Wednesday night for the Orioles, who have now lost 12 consecutive games to the Yankees this season.
With the Orioles trailing 6-1, first baseman Chris Davis had to be restrained in the dugout from going after Orioles manager Brandon Hyde, after the two exchanged words.
Orioles 1B Chris Davis had to be held back in the dugout as he tried to confront manager Brandon Hyde 😳
The Orioles have fallen on tough times during this rebuilding season, with a record of 38-76. The Yankees have taken 13 of 15 from them this season, with the two scheduled to play each other four more times beginning on Monday.
DON’T MISS THESE STORIES: Rounding Up the Top Sports Headlines
From Inside Training Camp: #Raiders WR Antonio Brown is still day-to-day with his troublesome feet after what team sources describe as a cryogenic chamber mishap.
- Oakland Raiders’ Antonio Brown’s foot injury is result of extreme frostbite caused by cryotherapy machine
- Colin Kaepernick tweets workout video, says ‘he’s still ready’
- Tiger Woods dealing with back stiffness heading into PGA Tour playoffs
- Simone Biles calls out USA Gymnastics: ‘You literally had one job and didn’t protect us’
WHAT’S ON TAP IN THE SPORTS WORLD
#NFLPreseason on NFL Network begins Thursday! 🏈🏈🏈
Schedule: t.co/41dKa6vJFF
NFL: Preseason Week 1
The first full week of preseason football kicks off tonight with a full slate of 11 games. Some of the featured matchups include the battle for New York as the Giants take on the Jets (7 p.m. ET, NFL Network), the defending champion Patriots taking on the Lions (7:30 p.m. ET), and the Chargers facing the Cardinals in the nightcap on NFL Network (10 p.m. ET).
WHEN: Tonight-Saturday
PGA TOUR: FedExCup Playoffs – THE NORTHERN TRUST
The FedExCup Playoffs get underway this week with THE NORTHERN TRUST at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey.
This year’s PGA postseason will consist of just three tournaments, with the top 70 players in the standings following THE NORTHERN TRUST advancing to the BMW Championship. The top 30 will then book a trip to East Lake for the TOUR Championship, which will begin on August 22nd.
Tiger Woods will be teeing it up this week for the first time since his disappointing missed cut at The Open Championship.
WHEN: Today; First-round coverage begins at 2 p.m. ET on Golf Channel
SOCCER: Premier League Season Kicks Off
The 2019-2020 Premier League season officially begins on Friday when last season’s runner-up Liverpool takes on Norwich. The two-time reigning champion Man City faces West Ham on Saturday at 7:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN.
WHEN: Friday; Season kicks off (Liverpool vs. Norwich) at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN
Missed Yesterday’s Roundup? Click here for it.
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Your Must-See Sports Headlines for Today, August 8