How Long is Kevin Durant Out For? Latest Updates on MRI Results

Kevin Durant injury updates when will he return

Getty Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant after injury in the NBA playoffs

The outlook for Golden State Warriors star forward Kevin Durant appears on the surface that’s it’s not quite as bad as originally thought. While the concerns over a potential torn Achilles were high after Durant suffered a non-contact injury in Game 5 against the Houston Rockets, the first update was fairly positive.

During the TNT broadcast, the Warriors announced that Durant had suffered a calf strain, but was ruled out for the remainder of the game. With that said, the team was set to do an MRI on the forward Thursday, which could decide whether he’ll miss the remainder of the season or just a short period.

We’re going to take a look at the latest on Durant’s injury and his potential timeline for return. The results of the MRI will be revealed soon, but we’ll detail what we know thus far.


Kevin Durant’s Injury Status & When He Could Return

There’s a very real concern that Durant could miss the remainder of the NBA playoffs, even if the injury is not more severe than a strained calf. The Warriors have ruled Durant out for Game 6 of the NBA playoff series against the Rockets, and his status beyond that is up in the air.

Interestingly, Dr. Jesse Morse of The Fantasy Doctors offered a timeline on a typical return from a calf strain and pointed to a potential 2-6 week outlook. He stated that this timeline could certainly wind up ending his season, but there’s nothing set in stone as to whether that will prove to be the case.

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Regardless, Durant’s chances of returning for this series and possibly even early in the Western Conference Finals, should the Warriors advance, may be a bit of a longshot. If this does prove to be a calf strain, the 2-6 possible timeframe for a return would likely be anywhere from May 22 to June 19.

As Sports Media Watch shows, the tentative NBA Finals schedule will begin on Thursday, May 30, which would be at the three-week mark. The series will be wrapped up by Sunday, June 16, barring a chance to the schedule, so in order for Durant to play in the NBA Finals, he would likely have to return in the three-to-four week range.


Update on Kevin Durant’s MRI

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the diagnosis is a mild strain to Durant’s right calf and that he will be re-evaluated next week.

As he proceeds to point out, this means Durant could return for the Western Conference Finals, should the Warriors advance past the Rockets. He’ll be out at least through the final two games of the second-round series, and possibly longer.

The update next week should provide a more definitive timeline for the forward, but for the time being, Golden State will move forward without both Durant and center DeMarcus Cousins.


Original Kevin Durant Injury Outlook

While the NBA world awaits word on Durant’s outlook, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports revealed that the MRI is set for Thursday. The official time of it has not been made public, but it will likely be done fairly early on in the day.

Additional insight from a few doctors stood out following the original injury, although the hope is that it’s not as severe as some are saying. Randon Hall, MD of The Injury Source stated that he believes Durant’s injury is a calf tear, but not an Achilles injury.

We’ll update as additional news comes to light, but the status and severity of Durant’s injury should officially be revealed in the very near future. There will likely also be some sort of timeline attached to that.

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