Warriors star Kevin Durant will make his long-awaited return from a left MCL sprain tomorrow night against the Pelicans, and he will do so without a minutes constraint. As AJ Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today reports, Durant will be given a long leash in his comeback from a 19-game absence.
“Obviously I wanted to be out there playing,” Durant said. “That’s my favorite thing to do, play basketball. To be away was different, it was tough, but I looked at the big picture and figured that at some point I would get better. That day is here and I’m thankful.”
Durant claimed to have become restless during his prolonged absence. In a report from Chris Haynes of ESPN, the eight-time All-Star said he almost went “over the deep end” while rehabbing.
“If I had to wait until the playoffs, I would have waited,” he said. “At some point, I would just have to throw myself in the fire. It doesn’t matter if it’s the regular season or playoffs. It’s still basketball. Guys are still out there competing. No matter if it’s the 80th game or the first game of the playoffs.”
While Durant’s injury removed him from any serious MVP consideration, his first season with Golden State has largely been a success. KD’s 53.7% shooting is a career-best total, as are his 8.2 rebounds per game. With just three regular season games remaining, Durant will look to regain his bearings before playing in the postseason.
“We just wanted to get (Durant) in the flow of the five-on-five, which we haven’t played until today,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He looked good. It was a good day at work.”