Warriors (and Knicks) fans are holding their breaths.
Superstar impending free agent Kevin Durant exited Game 5 of the Golden State Warriors-Houston Rockets second-round series early with a right calf strain, and although the Warriors escaped Wednesday night with a 104-99 win to take a 3-2 lead, all the focus is on Durant’s immediate and long-term future.
After pouring in 22 points, four assists and five rebounds through three quarters, Durant limped off the Oracle Arena floor while running back on defense in a scary scene.
It’s unclear what may have triggered the non-contact injury just before the final quarter. The two-time reigning NBA Final MVP will undergo an MRI exam Thursday, but coach Steve Kerr said that Durant will definitely not play in Game 6 on Friday.
“Honestly it was a little deflating for a second, and then we rallied,” said Stephen Curry, who scored 25 points on 9-for-23 shooting.
“We’ll have to claw our way to one more win,” Curry said.
The 30-year-old has been his usual dominant self this series, averaging 36 points, 4.5 assists and 5 rebounds in a whopping 45 minutes per night.
Golden State nearly gave away what was a 20-point lead with an awful third quarter, when the Warriors managed just 15 points and committed six turnovers. The game was tied at 72 going into the final 12 minutes. But Klay Thompson finished with 27 points, including a key layup with 4.1 seconds left, to lead Golden State back to Houston ahead.
James Harden scored 31 points for the Rockets, who will try to stave off elimination back home. Stephen Curry finished with 25 points on 9-for-23 shooting, but carried the Warriors after Durant went down.
The Warriors’ win guarantees their loyal fans in the East Bay at least one more home game at Oracle Arena before the team moves to new Chase Center in San Francisco for next season.
“Tough loss. We had opportunities,” Houston’s Chris Paul said. “Rebounding, we actually was right there in the rebounds. We’ve got to be better, offensively, defensively, especially myself, turnovers. We didn’t get stops when we needed to.”
Golden State has won each of the three previous playoff meetings against the Rockets during the last five years: the 2015 Western Conference finals, the first round the following year, and last season’s West finals by rallying from a 3-2 deficit.
Once the postseason wraps up, it’ll become the summer of Durant, who has long been linked to the Knicks and their two max contract spots that could lure him and perhaps Kyrie Irving, too.
— With AP