Golden State Warriors: An NBA title without KD would be even more special
By Quinn Allen
If the Golden State Warriors can win an NBA title without Kevin Durant, it would be even more special than any previous ones
Once Game 5 began, Kevin Durant‘s presence was immediately felt as he scored 11 points in just 12 minutes for the Golden State Warriors, with nine of those coming from the 3-point line. He was back. Healthy. Then, he wasn’t.
As Durant tried to cross over Serge Ibaka, his ankle turned the wrong way. He hit the ground, holding his Achilles tendon. Durant tore his Achilles, which will be a long road back to the hardwood. You have to feel bad for the guy. Durant is arguably the best player in the NBA. He can change the game in an instant and his 11 points were definitely a huge part of Golden State being able to win this game.
The Warriors went on a 9-0 run with just minutes left in the fourth quarter thanks to back-to-back-to-back 3’s from the Splash Brothers. But if it wasn’t for Durant’s contributions at the beginning of Game 5, the Raptors could be crowned NBA champions as we speak.
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Raptors fans cheered as Durant went to the ground, but Kyle Lowry and Danny Green calmed them down and told them to stop check themselves. They thought with Durant out again, it was a foregone conclusion that the title was theirs for the taking on Monday night.
In the end, though, KD is a human being. No one deserves to miss this lengthy amount of time on the game’s biggest stage. It’s very sad that these fans were happy that he got hurt, but it seems they regretted their antics after the game. I don’t think there is any doubt that with KD on the floor healthy, Golden State would be champions again.
But now, they must fight without their beloved teammate. That’s exactly what they did in game five, with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson leading the way with 31 and 26, respectively. Golden State hit 20 3-pointers in this game for a 48 percent clip. This is the most 3’s they have made in any postseason game this year, and second-most in NBA Finals history behind just the 2017 Cleveland Cavaliers, who hit 24 against The Warriors. This game was clearly decided from downtown, which is usually the way that Golden State seals victories.
Heading back home
The Warriors dropped back to back games to Toronto in Game 3 and 4 at Oracle. It’s not very often that The Warriors lose two games in a row on home soil, so there is no doubt they are going to come out full throttle on Thursday. The fact that they were able to get the job done after seeing KD get injured in Game 5 speaks to the character of this team. They have been on this stage so many times over the last few years and with seasoned vets like Curry and Thompson leading the way, they have a very good chance of forcing a Game 7 back in Toronto on Sunday night.
Shutting down Kawhi as they did on Monday will be key if they want to keep fighting for this title. If they can do so, and shoot at the high percentage they typically do from downtown, The Warriors definitely have a chance. On home court too, the energy is going to be booming at Oracle and they’ll look to build off of it.
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They have won three titles in the last four years, but this one would just be a little more special. The fact that they were down 3-1, lost Durant, and still prevail would be quite the story. KD has been such a huge part of this team’s success this year but he will be there every step of the way to support his team as they look to complete the comeback and force a Game 7 on Thursday night in Oakland.