Following their Game 3 123-109 loss to the Toronto Raptors on their home court, the Golden State Warriors get additional deflating news. According to a report by Shams Charania of The Athletic, perennial All-NBA star Kevin Durant will not play in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. With the series leaning in the favor of Toronto, the Warriors are once again dealing with the effects of injuries.
Kevin Durant Out Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Per Report
Kevin Durant Out for Game 4
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Kevin Durant has been ruled out due to the calf injury sustained against the Houston Rockets early in May. Charania shared this tweet on his Twitter account Thursday afternoon:
Kevin Durant (calf) has been ruled out of Game 4 of NBA Finals.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 6, 2019
This comes as bad news as the Golden State Warriors could definitely benefit from the star forward’s elite play. Given this most recent update, a Game 5 return for Kevin Durant becomes the next best outcome.
Prior to his calf injury, Kevin Durant was averaging an unbelievable 34.2 points per game. A playoff career-high; outperforming his 2012-13 playoff run with the Oklahoma City Thunder where Durant averaged 30.8 points per game.
To expect Durant to return to his exact form would be incredibly high expectations. Needless to say, the Golden State Warriors need Kevin Durant back in the lineup as another weapon to alleviate the offensive duties of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
However, with Kevin Durant out, the Golden State Warriors must consider planning for the possibility that Durant may not return.
Klay Thompson Back for Game 5
While it is not all bleak for Warriors’ fans, star shooting guard Klay Thompson appears to be set to play in Game 4. Klay Thompson suffered a hamstring injury in Golden State’s Game 2 victory over the Toronto Raptors.
According to a Tweet by Tim Kawakami, Warriors’ Head Coach Steve Kerr was confident in Klay Thompson’s return to Golden State’s lineup for Game 5. Tim Kawakami of The Athletic reported the following:
Steve Kerr just told me that he expects Klay Thompson to play in Game 4 on Friday. Kerr said he doesn’t know yet about Kevin Durant’s status for that game.
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) June 6, 2019
Prior to sustaining his hamstring injury in Game 2, Thompson torched the Raptors on offense. Klay Thompson put on a 25 PTS (10/17 FG, 4/6 3PT) shooting clinic through 32 minutes of action before going into the locker room and not returning.
Golden State needs Klay Thompson’s elite perimeter shooting and defense as they look to tie the series in Game 4.
