TORONTO, Canada (AFP) – Two-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant could practice only once for Golden State and be ready for the NBA Finals, according to Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
Durant missed a Sunday shoot around to undergo more rehabilitation treatment on a right calf injury that has sidelined him since May 8.
Sunday’s second game of the Warriors’ best-of-seven championship series against Toronto marks the seventh consecutive playoff game Durant has missed after sparking Golden State to the past two NBA crowns.
Since the Warriors won’t practice Monday as they travel back to California – where they host games three and four on Wednesday and Friday in Oakland – Durant would only have one practice opportunity on Tuesday before game three.
Kerr had said Durant would need to practice with the Warriors before his return and elaborated Sunday that a lone practice before his comeback was possible.
“It’s feasible, but again, it’s really a day-to-day thing,” Kerr said. “It’s just an injury. There has been a lot of gray area. So literally it’s just day-to-day and how the progress is coming. At this point, he’s still not ready.”
Durant is the Warriors’ top scorer in the playoffs with 34.2 points a game.
There was an injury return, but it was Toronto forward O.G. Anunoby of England who was activated by the Raptors ahead of Sunday’s game.
Anunoby was sidelined in April after an emergency appendectomy and isn’t expected to see much playing time soon.
“I don’t know if that changes things much,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “It has been a long time since he has played. He has been pretty active here in the last four, five days, though, as far as getting up and down the floor and things. He has lost quite a bit of weight as well.”
“I don’t probably see much of a chance to play him, but you never know what could happen. But I would imagine it’s down the road.”
