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Kevin Durant will not play in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The Golden State Warriors superstar will miss his ninth consecutive game.
Kevin Durant (calf) has been ruled out of Game 4 of NBA Finals.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 6, 2019
There was optimism that Durant - who strained his calf on May 8 - would return on Friday night when the Warriors try and even up the series against the Toronto Raptors.
But Steve Kerr announced on Thursday that a Game 4 return was off the table. Kerr also clarified his prior statements that Durant might play on Friday, stating that the two-time Finals MVP did not suffer any setbacks.
Kerr on Durant: "There was no setback. I was hoping today would be the day he'd get back on the floor. It's not going to be today. It's going to be tomorrow or next couple days." Says he "misspoke" last night, KD still has another hurdle to clear, but hope is he'll still return.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) June 6, 2019
While the Warriors handled business against the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers without Durant, they’ve struggled against the Raptors. Golden State’s 110.1 offensive rating in the series is well below their season mark, and the offense has often been stagnant with KD sidelined.
Having Klay Thompson out for Game 3 certainly didn’t help matters either, and the team is optimistic that he’ll be back on Friday.
In the meantime, Durant has done a tremendous job being a supportive teammate, and has been said to be very active in film sessions and game preparation. Let’s hope he gets to show that support on the court before the season ends.
Kevin Durant greets each of the Warriors players & staff in the tunnel after the loss.
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 6, 2019
(Via @espn) pic.twitter.com/SASl6lxXDS