Durant will miss at least Game 1 of NBA Finals
Kevin Durant won’t be ready to play in time for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on May 30.
The two-time reigning finals MVP has yet to return to on-court work while recovering from a strained right calf.
Big man DeMarcus Cousins might be healthy for Golden State’s series opener against either Milwaukee or Toronto.
“Potentially,” coach Steve Kerr said Thursday, “but it’s up in the air.”
The team re-evaluated both players Thursday and they are expected to be ready at some point during Golden State’s fifth straight finals.
Durant is making progress in the training room and with moves he is able to handle in the weight room, Kerr said.
“We’ve known all along, it’s how he responds. There’s never been a point during this process where we’ve been able to say, ‘he’s going to play on such and such date,' and there still isn’t, so we just keep going, keep moving forward,” Kerr said. “But again, he hasn’t spent any time on the court with us, hasn’t gone through an individual shooting workout.”
Cousins is working back from a torn left quadriceps muscle sustained in Game 2 of the first round against the Clippers. He practiced Thursday for the first time since getting injured April 16 in just his second career playoff game.
“We'll see where my body takes me and we'll see what happens,” he said. “I feel good, a lot better than I was, I’m in a better place. I’m able to get up and down the court more. I’m able to play a little competition basketball.”
Andre Iguodala, who missed the Game 4 clincher against the Blazers with a sore left calf, didn’t practice Thursday but is expected to be at full strength to start the finals.
Golden State took two days off after completing a sweep of the Trail Blazers on Monday night in Portland. The Warriors will again take a day off Sunday and won’t begin full game-planning until they have an opponent.
ALL-NBA TEAM
Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden were unanimous selections to an All-NBA team that could mean big payoffs for Damian Lillard and Kemba Walker. Both of those guards were voted to one of the three teams, making them eligible for supermax contract extensions from their teams.
LeBron James also was voted to the third team, tying the NBA record with his 15th All-NBA selection. Rounding out the first team were Stephen Curry, Paul George and Nikola Jokic.
Walker was voted a third-team selection to the All-NBA team and is eligible to receive a five-year contract extension worth about $221 million from the Hornets. Lillard, a second-team selection, can get more than $190 million over four years with a new contract in Portland.
Philadelphia center Joel Embiid led the second team that along with Lillard included Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving. James and Walker headlined a third team that featured Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin and Rudy Gobert.