The Golden State Warriors’ path to a third straight NBA title just got a lot more difficult.
The Warriors held on to beat the Houston Rockets in Game 5 of their second-round series Wednesday night, but it didn’t come without a price. Superstar swingman Kevin Durant left the game with what was described as a right calf strain.
Durant’s status for the rest of the series and the playoffs is unknown, but he’s expected to miss Game 6 on Friday in Houston, according to multiple reports.
“He’s not going to play Game 6,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told The Athletic. “We can all pretend and just say he’s doubtful. But he’s not playing Game 6.”
That could end up being a huge blow for a Golden State team that has yet to win a game in Houston this series. If the Rockets can continue that trend in Game 6, Durant’s availability for Game 7 would become a huge storyline. Obviously, the Warriors’ training staff will work around the clock to ensure Durant — who has been the best player in the world this postseason — is ready to go should Houston extend the series. In the four games vs. Houston entering Wednesday night, Durant averaged 36 points per contest and had been averaging 35.4 points per game over the course of the entire playoffs. He was in the midst of another strong night in Game 5, scoring 22 points in 32 minutes of action.
The Durant-less Warriors will try to close out the Rockets on Friday night in Game 6 and punch their tickets to the Western Conference finals for a fifth straight season.
