Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from Game 5 thriller vs. Rockets

2. What is Kevin Durant’s health status?

Kevin Durant sent shivers down the spine of the NBA world when he came up hobbling after a routine pull-up jumper with just over two minutes left in the third quarter. He didn’t land on anybody’s foot. He never even made contact, yet KD hopped up and down and grabbing near his right Achilles, leading many to assume the worst.

Thankfully, reports flooded in soon after that it was only a calf strain, although KD wouldn’t return to the game. However, according to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes, Durant is set to undergo an MRI on his right leg sometimes on Thursday, leaving many to continue holding their breath until all is deemed well.

Durant’s value to the Warriors during this postseason run cannot be overstated. Prior to Game 5, the reigning two-time Finals MVP was averaging 35.4 points per game on a shooting line of .518/.429/.906 along with 5.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. He’s bailed Golden State out a number of times with incredible shots made from just about everywhere on the court.

The Warriors were not in dire need of KD in order to close Game 5, but there’s a difference between a roughly 14-minute stretch of basketball and an entire 48-minute contest. Let’s also not forget Stephen Curry hasn’t exactly inspired confidence in his ability to thrive against these Rockets.

Steph struggled once again on Wednesday night, shooting just 3-of-11 from downtown. He’s shooting below 40.0 percent from the field 30.0 percent from distance in this series. If the threat of Durant’s abilities doesn’t create enough open looks for Curry, his absence won’t help, and the Dubs will be left to search for any bits of offense they can find. The hope is he’ll be able to continue the superb play he showed in the fourth quarter without KD and revert back to his former MVP self.