No one wants to believe it, but the outcome is bleak for Golden State if KD can’t return.
Kevin Durant doesn’t seem to be coming back. The two-time Finals MVP has been out since May 8 after straining his right calf against the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals. Klay Thompson is hobbled and questionable for Game 3. Kevon Looney is lost for the series. DeMarcus Cousins is at about 75 percent of his All-star self. Sean Livingston is 90 years old with bad wheels.
Need I go on?
With everything riding against them, Golden State rode the adrenaline of the moment and endured the injuries to defeat Toronto in a pivotal Game 2.
Now that reality is setting in we are on the cusp of an even more crucial Game 3 and the Raptors hold all of the cards.
Drake has got to be ecstatic.
Golden State Warriors have updated their logo after injuries to Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant & Kevon Looney. #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/wGimSWlpHb
— Troll Sports (@TroIISports) June 5, 2019
Golden State is in a tough spot with Steve Kerr not knowing if two of his All-Stars will be able to contribute at the level the team needs to win a third-straight title.
Kawhi Leonard is hobbled, but Toronto is in a better state of affairs than Golden State for sure. Toronto couldn’t ask for any more luck then it’s gotten. The basketball world couldn’t imagine that Golden State would be so decimated by injuries that the only two healthy starters they’d be sending on the court is Steph Curry and Draymond Green.
https://youtu.be/Wmq_OvuRx4o
Who would imagine that Toronto would hold clear advantages in talent and depth halfway through this NBA series? They do now.
All of the chips have fallen in Kawhi Leonard’s favor. Golden State is as compromised as it’s ever been and Toronto has to seize the moment, especially in this Game 3.
No excuses.
Even if the Warriors somehow managed to steal Game 3, don’t tell me that the injury to Klay is going to get better as the grueling series wears on. Don’t tell me that Steph won’t have another dehydration episode. It’s exhausting just watching him run around the court like a field mouse trying to get a shot off. Don’t tell me that Iguodala is going to all of a sudden get his legs back and be a factor for four more games.
No one wants to believe it, but the outcome is bleak for Golden State if Kevin Durant can’t return by Game 4.
Warriors expect Kevin Durant to return midway through the Finals, with Game 4 being more likely, sources tell @ChrisBHaynes: https://t.co/lsCv7nmttJ pic.twitter.com/ksZm6Cfc3v
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 31, 2019
They are champions, but you can also see that they are like wounded animals putting up a good face, fronting ferocious and talking confidently so that they don’t lose their intimidation factor. Deep down, Dub Nation knows that it’s in deep dung.
Fate has blessed Toronto and first-year head coach Nick Nurse with a championship door that is opening wider by the minute. Toronto has to run through it now, especially if KD is getting closer to a return as reports have stated.
