Durant finally returns to Warriors practice
Status of 2-time finals MVP still uncertain for Game 5; Raptors not looking ahead
TORONTO — The word of the day Sunday that best summed up the NBA Finals was “yet.”
As in, the Warriors aren’t ready to give up their throne — yet.
Kawhi Leonard hasn’t bought any property in Toronto — yet.
The Raptors don’t see any reason to start celebrating — yet.
And Kevin Durant’s Game 5 status hadn’t been decided — yet.
The NBAcould have a new champion as early as Monday night, when the Raptors look to finish off the Warriors in Game 5 of the title series.
The Raptors lead 3-1, and returned home buoyed by two double-digit wins at Oracle Arena that put the two-time defending champions on the brink of elimination.
“We haven’t done anything,” Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said. “We’ve still got to get one more win. It’s the first to four. You’ve got champions coming in here and they’re going to play their butts off and play extremely hard.”
They might have Durant, too.
Out for more than a month now with a calf strain, Durant was on the floor for practice Sunday. The Warriors are hoping he will be able to play Monday night.
Durant averaged 26.0 points per game for the Warriors during the regular season and 34.2 points in 11 playoff games before he got hurt in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Rockets.
The Warriors are 6-3 in the nine games Durant has missed.
“It’s just having another powerful weapon out there who can do some very dynamic things on the floor,” Warriors guard Stephen Curry said.
Coach Steve Kerr said the plan was to see if Durant could clear some hurdles that he hasn’t crossed during his recovery.
Kerr said earlier in the series that Durant could return after completing one practice.
“He will be very welcomed, I’ll tell you that much,” Warriors guard Klay Thompson said.
“I think it’s pretty easy to realize we obviously miss him out there. He’s propelled us to two championships in the last two years, so it’d be pretty storybook if he comes back and helps us do the same.
“I know how badly he wants to be out there. He’s one of the best competitors I’ve ever been around.”
The Raptors will have a plan, of course, if Durant gets on the floor Monday night.
“If he plays, he’s an MVP, he’s an All-NBA player, he’s an All-Star, Finals MVP,” Lowry said. “But we can’t focus on that. We have to focus on ourselves.”
The Raptors are showing no signs of exhaling. Raptors coach Nick Nurse was amused to learn that there were “Let’s Go Raptors” chants on some flights landing in Toronto on Sunday, as well as at the PGA Tour’s Canadian Open. He hasn’t paid much attention to the news in recent days, but when a Raptors watch party was held in his condo building someone put a photo in the elevator — just to make sure he saw.
“There’s still a lot of work to do,” Nurse said.
Leonard feels precisely the same way. With the free-agency rumor mill for this summer already churning, Leonard was asked to confirm reports that he recently bought property in Toronto.
“It didn’t happen yet, no,” Leonard said. Something else that hasn’t happened is the win the Raptors need to end this series and win their first title.
“We’re focused,” Leonard said. “We know that it doesn’t mean anything until someone has four wins.”