Folks with weak constitutions or those haunted by the spectre of their own Achilles injuries, look away. There’s nothing for you in here. Everyone else, let us grimly press on together.
[jwplayer IGDnbACk]
Kevin Durant‘s NBA Finals comeback was cruelly cut short just over a quarter into today’s crucial Game 5 matchup between Golden State and Toronto after going down with what’s feared to be a much more serious leg injury than the one that had previously kept him off the court since May.
Durant suited up to aid his Warriors, facing a 3-1 series deficit, in their bid to extend the series to a sixth game. But that came to a screeching halt when the extremely large lad went down a few moments into the second quarter clutching the bothersome right leg that’s kept him on the sidelines since the Warriors’ Eastern Conference semifinal matchup against Houston over a month ago.
Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka asked Raptors fans to stop applauding as Kevin Durant walked off the court with an apparent leg injury.
Game is on Sportsnet.
(📽️: @espn) pic.twitter.com/dmTgCvGTiW
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) June 11, 2019
The slow mo replay of the injury shows how relatively innocuous the movement was that sent Durant toppling to the floor.
Kevin Durant appears to aggravate his calf injury and heads to the locker room early in the second quarter. pic.twitter.com/VXu3SmTS8Y
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 11, 2019
But it’s the super-slow mo and zoomed in shot that’ll turn your stomach upside-down; Durant’s calf clearly ripples and recoils, like some sort of over-stretched rubber band snapping in two, with the fear being that it’s a classic rupture of the Achilles tendon which could put him on the shelf for many, many months.
This is just crazy. pic.twitter.com/6pK5dcUfZN
— Chris Palmer (@ChrisPalmerNBA) June 11, 2019
Jesus christ, no thank you very much.
Durant left Scotiabank Arena later that night on crutches and wearing a moon boot
Kevin Durant is seen on crutches and in a walking boot at Scotiabank Arena. pic.twitter.com/4r7M0QrY7T
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 11, 2019
And a few short moments ago, a visibly upset Bob Myers, Golden State’s President of Basketball Operations, confirmed Durant had suffered an achilles injury and would be undergoing an MRI tomorrow to determine the extent of the damage. An emotional Myers seemed to take blame for the injury – rushing a still-hurt Durant back when he clearly wasn’t ready – in a moment that has big ramifications for several NBA teams moving forward.
“It’s an Achilles injury. … He’ll have an MRI tomorrow.”
Bob Myers holds back tears as he explains the magnitude of Kevin Durant’s injury. pic.twitter.com/glQ6j5hATe
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 11, 2019
While Golden State managed to squeeze out a one-point win to take the series to a sixth game on Friday morning AUS time, when your leg pops like that you rarely recover in three days, so it’s hard to see KD taking any further part in the series. Which would mean he’s very likely played his last game as a Warrior, which frankly sucks.
Doesn’t matter how you feel about the team, you hate to see this happen.
