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The Golden State Warriors have been threatened with elimination by the Toronto Raptors in the NBA 2019 finals. One of the main reasons they face a 3-1 deficit in the series is the various injuries they have suffered. The most notable among them is the calf injury that has kept Kevin Durant on the sidelines since the fifth game of their second round series against the Houston Rockets.
However, after more than a month on the board, Durant will return to the game for the fifth game against the Raptors on Monday night. Head coach Steve Kerr confirmed the news before the game Monday night.
"He's going to play tonight," Kerr told NBA TV. "There is no restriction of minutes, it's going to be based more on what he's feeling, he has not played, obviously, for a month, so we'll see about his If he's tired, we'll get him out when he's ready to go in, we'll put him back. "
Durant practiced with the Warriors on Sunday for the first time since the calf injury, he also participated in the shooting Monday morning.
"He looked good," warriors head coach Kerr said on Monday about Durant. "We'll see where it's going."
Kerr previously stated that Durant could potentially play in the series after a single practice.
"It's feasible," Kerr said. "But again, it's really an everyday affair – if we had had a crystal ball, we would have known a long time ago what we were facing." It's just an injury; there have been a lot of dark areas, so literally it's just day-to-day and progress is coming, and for now it's still not ready. "
While being ready to return for the fifth game, one must question the level of rust he will face after being away for more than a month. But Durant, even 60 or 70%, would give a big boost to the Warriors, who sometimes seemed lost without him against the Raptors.
"You're worried about conditioning … the skill is obviously undeniable and it's a guy who can be shot whenever he wants," Kerr said. "It's Kevin Durant, so if we have him with him, he'll be a threat, we know that."
Now that he is finally ready to return, Durant has before him an opportunity to change his legacy. His team dug a 3-1 hole without him, and if he could take him out of the hole and win a third consecutive title, it would be considered a feat of all time.
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