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HOUSTON – A few hours after the Warriors confirmed that Kevin Durant would be away for at least a week because of a calf injury, Golden State coach Steve Kerr expressed optimism about the recovery of Durant and the chances of the team in the post-season to enter the sixth game of the semifinals of the Western Conference against the Rockets. -One-to-two in the series.
"I think that's good news," Kerr told the teams hotel Thursday night. "Obviously we are disappointed that he can not play in this series, but if we are able to win the series and move on, his return to a not too distant future is promising."
Durant's injury, which will be re-evaluated in a week, comes at a time of particular peril for the Warriors. Although they are in the series, Golden State has little production, while Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have trouble keeping up. Durant, who had not traveled to South Texas with the team, was in full swing post-season, averaging 34.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists and a block in 11 games.
"He's been the NBA's best playoff player," Kerr said. "It was phenomenal, so it's a huge loss, but our team has a lot of confidence, they trust each other, they won championships together, so we went out and we managed our best."
Following Durant's injury Wednesday night, Curry scored 16 of his 25 points in the final 16 minutes of the game, scoring five shots. One minute after Durant's fall, Curry dropped into a float to give the Warriors a 70-69 lead. Five minutes later, he eliminated a 28-footer 3-pointer to give the defending champions a one-point lead. In the final minute, he cashed two free throws, helping the Warriors build a six-point lead while keeping the Rockets at bay.
"We obviously used Steph to generate most of our attack, it's not like we've gone all that far over the years, it's just that with Kevin we have the weapon we have somehow mixed offensive styles and starting points for our team in the last few years. "
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Curry's exploits, combined with the contributions of goaltender Klay Thompson, forward Draymond Green and top-ranked player Kevon Looney, have led many NBA observers to wonder if Golden State would return to the centric attack on Curry, which earned the Warriors the title of champion. On Thursday, Kerr, disappointed by Durant's injury, expressed confidence in his team's chances in Game 6.
"We had different rotations, different ways to attack, but what's good is that we already have a lot of experience before Kevin came in with Steph, Klay, Andre. [Iguodala], Shaun [Livingston]Said Kerr, "so we succeeded. This is not to say that it is the same thing, it was a few years ago, but we are confident that we can succeed with this group. "
"We are in a good position, we are 3-2, we have championship rings between our fingers and a lot of experience comes out of it," added Kerr. "So let's go and let it rip."
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