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Things took a scary turn for the Golden State Warriors during the third quarter of their second-round matchup with the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. Already without center DeMarcus Cousins due to an injury, All-Star forward Kevin Durant suffered an injury of his own during Game 5.
Late in the third, Durant went up for a jump shot and when he came down, appeared to be in discomfort almost immediately, as seen below.
Kevin Durant suffers non-contact injury that appears to be an Achilles injury
It was a non-contact injury and appeared to happen after Durant took the shot. As seen below in a video from Bleacher Report, Durant turned to go back on defense after the shot when he suddenly stopped and reached for his foot.
Kevin Durant goes to the locker room after suffering an apparent non-contact injury on lower leg
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Original Concern Over Kevin Durant’s Injury Pointed to Achilles
While there has been no confirmation yet, the consensus seems to be that the injury may have something to do with Durant’s Achilles. Due to the fact that it was a non-contact injury and the way the Warriors star limped off the floor, many immediately feared the worst.
Former NFL player and current analyst Damien Woody offered some insight into the reaction to the injury and pointed out that it was the same he had when he tore his Achilles.
When I tore my Achilles and I literally had the same reaction as KD
While there is still an obvious concern, it does appear that the injury isn’t as severe as what was originally feared.
Kevin Durant Injury Update
LATEST: 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.
Golden State’s Kevin Durant has suffered a mild strain on his right calf and expected to be re-evaluated next week, league source tells ESPN.
As he proceeds to point out, this means Durant could return for the Western Conference Finals, should the Warriors advance past the Rockets. He will miss the final two games of the second-round series, and possibly beyond that.
Original Injury Updates
Durant is dealing with a right calf strain, which the Warriors revealed and the TNT broadcast reported shortly after he went back to the locker room. Beyond that, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski also reported that the early indications are that Durant suffered just a lower leg injury and not an Achilles injury.
Early indications on Kevin Durant’s lower leg, league source tells ESPN: It doesn’t appear to be an Achilles injury.
It was also stated that Durant will not return to Game 5 due to the injury. Unfortunately, there has to be concern over his availability moving forward, even if this does prove to be a calf strain. NBA analyst Nate Duncan made an interesting point that if the injury was bad enough to force Durant from the game, that he may not be back during the current series against the Rockets.
Now for the bad news, imagine that if the calf strain was bad enough for KD to have to leave the game, he won’t be back this series
NBA Players Sound Off on Durant’s Injury
While a number of players and analysts pointed to the concern over a potential Achilles injury, a mixture of both current and former players chimed in as well. One which stood out was San Antonio Spurs forward Rudy Gay, who said early on that he didn’t believe the injury was as bad as originally anticipated.
Praying for KD. Although I don’t think it’s what we think. Hopefully
It does feel like you got kicked but a strained calf feels the same I hear
Other players and fans across the league poured out their support for Durant after the injury. Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum, who suffered a scary knee injury of his own late in the regular season sent thoughts to the Warriors star, as did Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell.
Damn man Prayers up for my homie @KDTrey5 🙏🏽
Prayers up @KDTrey5 🙏🏾🙏🏾
It does not appear that there will be any additional information provided on Wednesday night, but we’ll update if there is anything made public.
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Kevin Durant Injury: Latest Updates on Warriors Forward’s Status