TORONTO – The Golden State Warriors are getting a much-needed reinforcement just in time for Game 5 with their season on the line against the Toronto Raptors.
Kevin Durant is active and will play Monday in an NBA Finals elimination game.
Durant has been out of the Warriors lineup since leaving Game 5 of Golden State’s second-round matchup with the Houston Rockets with a strained right calf.
“He responded well and, yeah, he’s going to play,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said before tip-off. “We’ll start him and play him in short bursts and see how he responds physically, see if his wind is OK.”
The two-time Finals MVP was on a tear before his injury, averaging 34.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists on 51.3 per cent shooting from the field and 41.6 per cent from deep across 11 post-season games.
The spectre of Durant’s looming return has hung heavily over the Finals since it started, with nearly daily speculation over when exactly he would be back.
Raptors coach Nick Nurse said nearly every game this series he’s been preparing his team for Durant’s eventual return and that Toronto should be prepared.
“The reports have been coming out since Game 1, I think, that he was going to play by Game 3,” said Nurse. “So we prepared each game, 3, 4 and now 5, so it wasn’t like it was a total departure from everything we have been doing.”
Nurse said he thinks Kawhi Leonard would receive primary-defender duties on Durant during Game 5.
The Raptors have taken advantage of Golden State’s injury situation with all-star Klay Thompson, centre Kevon Looney and key wing Andre Iguodala all getting hurt throughout the matchup.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr announced Sunday before the Warriors practised in earnest on the Scotiabank Arena floor that Durant would be participating with the team and that he would be “questionable” for Game 5.
Durant was listed as a “game-time decision” on Monday morning after shootaround.
Now, at last, he’s ready to step onto the court, and without a moment to lose.
Like a superhero coming to save the day at the very last moment, it doesn’t matter just how “ready” Durant may or may not be, the Warriors are in desperate need of rescuing and he’s the man they’ll look to do it.
“Even without having played he’s still such a huge threat and he can get his shot off against anybody and we’ll see,” said Kerr.
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