Kevin Durant News: Warriors Star Sprains MCL, Return Date Remains Undetermined
The latest Kevin Durant news could be an unpleasant one for the Golden State Warriors and their fans. Durant, who injured his left knee Tuesday in the Warriors’ 112-108 loss to the Washington Wizards, suffered an MCL sprain. The announcement was made through Twitter Wednesday.
In a tweet by the Warriors PR, it was revealed that Durant sustained a Grade 2 MCL sprain plus a tibial bone bruise. He is going to be re-evaluated in four weeks, and as of this moment, there is no timetable for his return.
Injury Update: Kevin Durant suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain and a tibial bone bruise.
Full details below. pic.twitter.com/t3JkVnMmqa
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) March 1, 2017
This may still be good news considering Adrian Wojnarowski’s previous report through Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski wrote that it is possible Durant misses the remainder of the regular season and his absence may continue until the playoffs or even longer.
Durant was quickly scheduled to have an MRI Tuesday night, and the announcement came out Wednesday. If he needs to be sidelined for an extended amount of time, it is bad news for Golden State which is one of the favorites to win the championship this season.
During the first quarter of the Warriors’ loss, Durant injured his knee after a contact with teammate Zaza Pachulia. The center went down due to a foul from the Wizards’ Marcin Gortat. Durant clutched his knee following this but tried to play through it. Unfortunately, after just a couple of possessions, he asked head coach Steve Kerr to call a timeout. Then, he had a conversation with team trainers before heading to the locker room, limping a little, and did not return.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUwTJRaPo88
The game was the first since 2009 that Durant failed to score at least 10 points. All he had in the outing was an unsuccessful shot attempt in nearly two minutes of action.
The Splash Brothers led the way for the Warriors in the absence of Durant. Stephen Curry had 25 points while Klay Thompson added 16. Draymond Green and Shaun Livingston contributed 14 points each, with Green also having 14 rebounds. The defeat gave the Warriors a 50-10 record which remains enough to lead the Western Conference and NBA standings. Last season, however, Golden State set the best regular season record in league history as they went 73-9.
Because of Durant’s injury, the Warriors immediately made news and one of the headlines they were involved in also included the veteran Matt Barnes. The Dubs are signing Barnes who last suited up for the Sacramento Kings. Late in February, the Kings parted ways with the 36-year-old, his release took place the same day DeMarcus Cousins, and Omri Casspi got traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.
As reported by ESPN, Barnes will sign a deal for the rest of the season, not a 10-day contract. He was ecstatic to return to Oakland and even posted a photo of him on Instagram during his first stint with the team.
“It’s a dream come true! I feel like I helped start something in ’07, and now I’m coming back to help finish it,” Barnes told The Undefeated according to ESPN.
To have a roster space for Barnes, the Warriors are waiving Jose Calderon. The Spanish playmaker was recently a hot topic in the news because they were adding him after he was released by the Los Angeles Lakers.
The likes of Barnes, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and James Michael McAdoo will be the ones stepping up as Durant holds an uncertain future. It is yet to be seen if the Warriors continue to seek the market for help with one of their stars out and the playoffs approaching.
Whatever the Warriors’ next move is, it will be big news from here on out as they continue their campaign. Up next on their schedule is a game versus the Chicago Bulls.
[Featured Image by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images]
