Warriors win, we all lose
Durant injury is more than just huge blow for him, but also for Knicks, rest of NBA
TORONTO – It was an injured tendon that reverberated across nations and ruined plans on both U.S. coasts. Kevin Durant, the No. 1 target for the Knicks in free agency and the main reason they’ve been pumping confidence about the franchise’s future, likely tore his Achilles on Monday during an illfated attempt to come back from what the Warriors called a calf strain.
The somber news was delivered by an emotional and tearful GM Bob Myers following Golden State’s 106105 victory over the Raptors in Game 5. Myers cautioned that an MRI was still pending, but his tone suggested something dire.
He also accepted responsibility because somebody messed up. Durant clearly shouldn’t have been on the court after missing a month
because of an injury to that Achilles area.
“He was cleared to play tonight; that was a collaborative decision. I don’t believe there’s anybody to blame, but I understand in this world and if you have to, you can blame me. I run our basketball operations department,” Myers said. “And to tell you something about Kevin Durant, Kevin Durant loves to play basketball, and the people that questioned whether he wanted to get back to this team were wrong.
“And I’m not here to — he’s one of the most misunderstood people. He’s a good teammate, he’s a good person, it’s not fair. I’m lucky to know him. I don’t know — I don’t have all the information on what really the extent of what it all means until we get a MRI, but the people that worked with him and cleared him are good people, they’re good people.”
A torn Achilles can be diagnosed, or at least assumed, by simply squeezing the calf. An MRI is used only to confirm the extent. Achilles tears require about a year for recovery, and often prior explosiveness is never regained.
In other words, Durant could end up sitting out the entirety of next season. His future as a free agent is up in the air and he has a $31.5 million player option with the Warriors.
The Knicks traded Kristaps Porzingis in January with the belief that cap space would help secure Durant and another star in free agency. Now they’re left prioritizing backup plans. Those can include trading for Anthony Davis, hope for the longshot Kawhi Leonard in free agency, sign secondary stars, or punt the cap space until 2020. Theoretically, the Knicks can still sign Durant to a longterm deal and shelve him for the entire season. Regardless, it’s not ideal. With Durant’s planted foot and collapse to the court, the culpability shifted. What had been criticism directed at him for not playing in the NBA Finals had become an indictment on the Warriors — a sign they pressured their star to come back too soon, leading to the former MVP suffering an Achilles injury.
And truth is, the Warriors allowed this situation to fester. There was never a sense during the Finals that Durant’s injury was too serious, or that he risked re-injury. In fact, Kerr had declared Durant on a path toward playing in Game 4 — three days before his re-injury in Monday’s Game 5 106105 victory over the Raptors — and the coach had to backtrack. It led to a narrative that Durant was focused more on his free agency than the Finals, as a report surfaced that his status caused angst and confusion within the organization. The tales of grit and desire were reserved for Klay Thompson’s return from a hamstring injury. Blame that on the medical staff. Blame that on Kerr. Blame that on the front office.
“The initial injury was a calf injury,” Myers said. “This is not a calf injury. I’m not a doctor, I don’t know how those are related or not, but it’s a different injury.”
Regardless, Durant’s comeback was clearly premature and the Warriors barely survived thanks to clutch 3s from the Splash Bros. and Kyle Lowry’s missed potential winner at the buzzer. The series now sits at 3-2 in Toronto’s favor heading into Game 6 in Oakland on Thursday.
The Warriors gave Durant a good excuse to ditch them in free agency, assuming the injury isn’t worse than a reaggravated strained calf. The team announced he’ll undergo an MRI on Tuesday, and obviously the greatest fear is a torn Achilles. He left the arena in the third quarter with crutches and a walking boot.
“I am the president of basketball. If you have to (blame somebody), I don’t think there’s anybody to blame, but I get it, that stuff happens,” Myers said. “I
WARRIORS 106 RAPTORS 105
hope nobody does, I don't think it should land on anybody, but if you feel like you need to… (then blame me).”
It was a cruel twist to a bizarre season for arguably the best player on the planet. Durant simply pivoted with the ball in the second quarter and came up limp, sending him to the court clutching his Achilles and calf. Now the rest of the NBA is wondering whether Durant's final moment with the Warriors was limping through the tunnel and shouting in frustration, with Warriors GM Bob Myers chasing from behind.
Until that point, Durant's play served as a reminder of his greatness. After sitting a month because of the strained calf, the 30-year-old buried all three of his 3pointers and scored 11 points while playing 12 of a possible 14 minutes. He left with 9:49 remaining in the first half and the Warriors up by 5.
At first, the crowd cheered his injury. But multiple Raptors players — including Ibaka and Kyle Lowry — signaled for the fans to stop its disrespectful display, and Durant left the court to a chant of, “K.D., K.D.”
From there, the Warriors held their tenuous lead until Leonard's takeover. Curry responded with a 3-pointer to tie the score with 1:22 remaining, and Thompson followed with another trey to give Golden State the lead about 25 seconds later.
Down by 1 on the final possession, Leonard was forced to pass the ball and it found Lowry in the corner. He was contested and bricked it. The North was left waiting for its first NBA title.
“It felt great out of my hand. He got a piece of it, that's what great defenders do,” Lowry said. “He got a piece of it and we'll continue to look at it and see how we can be better for the next game.”
Raptors fans, hoping to get inside a free viewing party outside the arena, had lined up for hours through the miserable downpour. Some waited for days.
A small group with a tent had camped in front since Friday, a gross miscalculation since the line wasn't filled until the morning of Game 5 — three days later. Still, about 50 of the faithful arrived early enough to sleep outside through Sunday night.
“They better f—-king win,” declared a teenage girl, sipping a Monster energy drink.
By Monday morning, the rain turned torrential and red ponchos were distributed. Gusts of wind carried scents of weed. Mostly teenagers or 20somethings, the fans, wrapping around the Scotiabank Arena, all had the same two questions for a reporter:
1) Will Kawhi Leonard stay in Toronto?
2) Will Kevin Durant play? The first question was still impossible to answer, especially after Toronto's defeat. The second answer became a simple ‘yes.' But not for long.