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Kevin Durant Will Play In Game 5

June 10th, 2019 at 6:39pm CST by Luke Adams

6:39pm: Durant will play, Kerr told Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix and other media members during his pre-game press conference (Twitter link).

1:49pm: Warriors forward Kevin Durant is set to take the court for the first time in more than a month on Monday night, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that Durant plans to play in Game 5.

Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link) first reported that, despite being listed as a game-time decision, Durant was expected to be a “full go” for Monday’s contest.

Durant has been sidelined since May 8, when he suffered a calf injury during Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Rockets. Golden State finished off Houston in Game 6 and swept the Trail Blazers in the Western Finals, but the club has missed Durant on both ends of the floor against the Raptors. The Dubs are facing potential elimination tonight, down 3-1.

Durant wasn’t medically cleared to practice until this weekend, following Golden State’s Game 4 loss, so his participation in any sort of practice, shootaround, or scrimmage has been extremely limited. It remains to be seen how effective he’ll be upon his return, but head coach Steve Kerr indicated earlier today that there the team didn’t have a specific minutes cap in mind for the two-time Finals MVP (Twitter link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic).

Even if his conditioning isn’t up to par, Durant could have a significant impact on the game and the rest of the series. The Warriors have struggled to space the floor in his absence and haven’t had enough answers for Toronto on the defensive end. Just having Durant on the court to take minutes from the likes of Alfonzo McKinnie, Jonas Jerebko, and/or Quinn Cook will change how the Raptors line up against the Warriors’ offense and attack their defense.

Still, Durant’s return offers no guarantees for the Warriors, especially if he’s limited by his calf issue. If Golden State loses tonight, it could be KD’s last game as a Warrior.

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Kevin Durant A Game-Time Decision For Game 5

June 10th, 2019 at 12:36pm CST by JD Shaw

JUNE 10, 12:36pm: Despite being listed as a game-time decision, Durant is expected to be a “full go” for Game 5, multiple league sources tell Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link).

JUNE 10, 11:16am: After going through shootaround with the Warriors this morning, Durant is considered a game-time decision for Game 5, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters today (Twitter link via Sam Amick of The Athletic).

“He looked good, and we’ll see where it goes,” Kerr said.

JUNE 9, 5:31pm: Warriors star forward Kevin Durant is currently listed as questionable to play Monday night in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, a positive sign for a team down 3-1 in the series heading back to Toronto.

Durant, who has missed each of his team’s past nine playoff games, has been dealing with a strained right calf. Saturday marked one full month since he originally suffered the injury, with some of his teammates expressing frustration over his absence during the club’s Game 4 loss, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.

The potential return of Durant, a consensus top-three NBA player, would be a major boost for a Warriors team that’s averaging just 105 points per game this series. Golden State has missed his production on both ends of the floor, starting 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala in his place.

“He will be very welcome, I’ll say that much,” Thompson said of Durant, as relayed by Dan Wolken of USA TODAY Sports. “I think it’s pretty easy to realize we obviously miss him out there and he’s propelled us to two championships in the last two years. So it would be pretty storybook if he could come back and help us do the same.”

Before straining his calf, Durant held per-game averages of 34.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists during the playoffs, shooting 51 percent from the floor and 42 percent from behind the arc.

Teams are 1-33 all-time when facing a 3-1 series deficit in the Finals, with the only NBA team in league history to achieve the feat being the 2016 Cavaliers. Golden State will try to make history beginning on Monday with a potential return of Durant.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

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Team USA Announces 20-Player Camp Roster For World Cup

June 10th, 2019 at 10:22am CST by Luke Adams

USA Basketball has officially announced the group of 20 players that will participate in training camp this summer in advance of the 2019 FIBA World Cup. The camp will take place from August 5-9, and will be used to select the 12-man roster for this year’s World Cup in China.

The 20-man training camp roster is as follows:

  1. Harrison Barnes (Kings)
  2. Bradley Beal (Wizards)
  3. Anthony Davis (Pelicans)
  4. Andre Drummond (Pistons)
  5. Eric Gordon (Rockets)
  6. James Harden (Rockets)
  7. Tobias Harris (Sixers / FA)
  8. Kyle Kuzma (Lakers)
  9. Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers)
  10. Brook Lopez (Bucks / FA)
  11. Kevin Love (Cavaliers)
  12. Kyle Lowry (Raptors)
  13. CJ McCollum (Trail Blazers)
  14. Khris Middleton (Bucks)
  15. Paul Millsap (Nuggets)
  16. Donovan Mitchell (Jazz)
  17. Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
  18. Myles Turner (Pacers)
  19. P.J. Tucker (Rockets)
  20. Kemba Walker (Hornets / FA)

“I am excited about getting to training camp in August and working with all of the players that have been selected to attend the USA National Team training camp in Las Vegas,” Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich said in a statement. “We’ve got an excellent cross-section of veteran USA Basketball and NBA players, as well as some exciting younger players who possess amazing versatility.

“I’m appreciative of commitment that our National Team players continue to make, and the eagerness of the new players to become involved,” Popovich continued. “Selecting a 12-man team will be extremely difficult.”

It will be an eventful summer for many of the players on the 20-man Team USA training camp roster. Besides Harris, Lopez, and Walker, who are all headed for unrestricted free agency and could be on new teams by August, players like Barnes, Middleton, and Millsap could reach the open market if their player or team options are declined. Others – including Davis, Gordon, Kuzma, Tatum, and Tucker – have been mentioned in trade rumors.

Kuzma and Mitchell are the only players on the roster who haven’t played internationally for Team USA in the past. Five player on the roster (Barnes, Davis, Harden, Love, and Lowry) have won gold medals for USA Basketball at the 2012 or 2016 Olympics, while two others (Drummond and Gordon) have taken home gold at previous World Cups.

Previous reports indicated that Zion Williamson, John Collins, and Marvin Bagley are expected to be among the players named to a 10-man select team that will scrimmage with Team USA’s 20-man roster at the training camp in August.

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Eastern Notes: Leonard, Pistons, VanVleet, Hornets, Wizards

June 9th, 2019 at 9:03pm CST by JD Shaw

Despite a report from last week that Kawhi Leonard bought a house in Toronto, Leonard denied the story on Saturday in front of reporters, according to a Canadian Press report (via The Toronto Star).

Raptors fans were optimistic that this could be a clue of Leonard’s upcoming free agency decision, with the 2014 Finals MVP scheduled to become a free agent on June 30, one day after his 28th birthday. He’ll likely register interest from several suitors outside of Toronto, including his hometown teams in Los Angeles.

“No, it didn’t. It didn’t happen yet, no,” Leonard said of the report.

Leonard has guided the Raptors through the Eastern Conference and out to a 3-1 series lead over the Warriors, averaging a playoff career-high 31.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 22 postseason games.

The Raptors have a chance to win their first ever NBA championship on Monday night, a pivotal game for a franchise hoping to persuade Leonard to re-sign on a lucrative free-agent contract this summer.

There’s more from the Eastern Conference tonight:

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Raptors Notes: Leonard, Ibaka, Celtics, VanVleet

June 9th, 2019 at 2:28pm CST by clarkcrum

Tim Bontemps of ESPN recently wrote an in-depth piece on Raptors superstar Kawhi Leonard, and while the entire piece is worth a read, several anecdotes stick out, particularly one involving Wizards veteran forward Trevor Ariza.

At some point between his freshman and sophomore seasons at San Diego State, Leonard received word that Ariza, already a six-year NBA veteran and NBA champion, would be working out on the Aztecs’ campus.

Leonard, always one to do whatever he can to be the best he can be, asked Ariza if he could take part in the veteran’s workouts. Ariza agreed, and was immediately impressed with Leonard’s talent and immeasurable work ethic.

“Man, my first impression of him was, this kid is here to work, period… No matter what… I prided myself on being there first person in all the time,” Ariza said. “And, when I got there, (Leonard) was already there. He’d done everything he needed to do, and he was ready to work out again… When I saw the work ethic he had, I knew he was going to be special.”

Leonard was even able to win some one-on-one drills against the NBA veteran as a 19-year-old college sophomore-to-be, Ariza admits, telling ESPN that “(Leonard) was an NBA player when he was a freshman in college.”

There’s more from Toronto this afternoon:

  • After an up-and-down season in which big man Serge Ibaka became a bench player for the first time since the 2010/11 season, his second in the NBA, Ibaka’s superb play in Game 4 of the NBA Finals was instrumental in the Raptors taking a commanding 3-1 lead against Warriors, writes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Ibaka finished with 20 points, four rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.
  • The Raptors remarkable run to the cusp of the franchise’s first NBA championship has to resonate painfully with the Celtics, where Danny Ainge, Brad Stevens, and company envisioned making a similar run, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The biggest difference? Perhaps the gap between Leonard and Kyrie Irving is larger than we all realized.
  • While Fred VanVleet concedes that there is an increased mental focus and sense of responsibility that comes from the birth of your child, he denies the correlation between the birth of his son, Fred Jr., and his improved play in these playoffs, write Michael Lee and Dan Robson of The Athletic. Rather, Fred Sr. credits his own hard work and unbreakable confidence for helping him transform his game this postseason.
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Community Shootaround: Could Durant Save The Warriors?

June 8th, 2019 at 9:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

With the Warriors facing a 3-1 deficit as the NBA Finals shift back to Toronto, many media members are theorizing that Golden State’s only hope is a return by Kevin Durant. Although Durant joined his team for the trip to Canada, his status remains uncertain. The MVP of the last two Finals hasn’t played or participated in a full practice since suffering a calf strain a month ago in the Western Conference semifinals.

There’s no question that a healthy Durant would make a difference. He was magnificent as usual before the injury, posting a 26.0/6.4/5.9 line in 78 regular season games and leading all playoff scorers at 34.2 points per game. Golden State hasn’t lost a postseason series since he joined the team three years ago.

Still, it may be an overstatement to say the Warriors would be in control of the series if he were available. The Raptors might be the best team they have faced over the past three seasons and have already dispatched a talented Sixers team and this year’s probable MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Kawhi Leonard has reminded everyone that he’s one of the league’s best players, and he’s surrounded by a talented supporting cast that is proficient on both ends of the floor.

Even if Durant returns for Game 5, there are questions about how effective he can be. The Warriors haven’t issued any progress reports on his condition, other than vague statements expressing hope that he’ll be back before the playoffs end. Timing would be a concern for someone who hasn’t been on the court for a month and is trying to return to the game at its highest level.

We want to get your opinion on whether Durant’s return can save the series for the Warriors. Would his natural talent be enough or would he just provide a distraction and an easy target for the Raptors to exploit on defense? Please leave your answers in the space below.

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Raptors Notes: Leonard, Load Management, Gasol

June 8th, 2019 at 8:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kawhi Leonard is becoming a destroyer of dynasties, writes Michael Lee of The Athletic. The Raptors star has a chance to end the Warriors’ run at the top of the NBA five years after doing the same thing to the Heat when they were led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Leonard is also making a case to be called the league’s best player, although Lee notes it would be more impressive if he were dueling Kevin Durant instead of an injury-slowed Andre Iguodala and Alfonzo McKinnie. Still, Leonard has put himself in that conversation, even though he doesn’t fit the mold of a flashy superstar.

“I just want to play and just let people remember that I played hard at both ends of the floor, I was a winner and that’s basically it,” said Leonard, who will move on to an important free agency decision once the Finals are done. “I’m just here enjoying my dream, having fun. I mean, legacy is opinionated by each person, but I’m just playing right about myself really, and what I feel makes me happy.”

There’s more from Toronto:

  • Leonard’s success after playing just nine games last season will lead more teams to practice “load management,” predicts Frank Isola of The Athletic. Leonard missed 22 games this year, with most pre-planned to reduce his regular season wear and tear. He wasn’t used on both ends of any of Toronto’s 13 back-to-backs and never played more than nine straight games. Although Leonard has seemed hobbled at times in the playoffs, he has taken on a full workload. “You do your warmup, get treatment before the game, off days and after the game whatever that can help speed your recovery up so you’re able to play the next day,” he said.
  • Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN imagines the case the Raptors might make to Leonard when free agency arrives in 22 days. He expects management to focus on the talent already on hand, the success of Nick Nurse everywhere he has coached and the organization’s willingness to adjust Leonard’s regular season minutes to keep him fresh. Toronto may also have an NBA title by then as a selling point.
  • Marc Gasol has adjusted his game to become a modern, 3-point shooting center in recent years, writes Jackie MacMullan of ESPN. She talks to Knicks coach David Fizdale, who recalls that his efforts to get Gasol to change was one of the reasons they clashed in Memphis.
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Raptors Notes: Leonard, Gasol, Lowry, Green

June 7th, 2019 at 2:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Everyone knows about the flashy moves that vaulted the Raptors into the NBA Finals, but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst examines some of the under-the-radar happenings that have Toronto on the verge of its first championship. One of them dates back to 2011 when they nabbed highly respected trainer Alex McKechnie after the Lakers let his contract expire. McKechnie has led the way in keeping Kawhi Leonard healthy and building his trust in the organization after his experience in San Antonio.

The Raptors also benefited when the Nuggets declined to match their offer to team president Masai Ujiri in 2013, when the Knicks turned down a trade involving Kyle Lowry during the 2013/14 season, and when Pascal Siakam decided to attend a Basketball Without Borders camp in 2012 because it gave him a chance to visit his sister in South Africa.

Windhorst also examines the trade that brought Marc Gasol from the Grizzlies in February, noting that the deal wouldn’t have been possible unless Memphis was able to unload salary to keep from going into luxury tax territory. The answer came when the Clippers agreed to take Garrett Temple and JaMychal Green in exchange for Avery Bradley, allowing Toronto to pick up Gasol, who has provided a valuable veteran presence in the middle.

There’s more Raptors news to pass along:

  • The Knicks would have sent several players to Toronto in the Lowry deal, including Metta World Peace and Iman Shumpert, along with a 2018 first-round pick, according to Frank Isola of The Athletic. Owner James Dolan decided to nix the trade because he didn’t fare well in two previous deals with Ujiri, including the one that brought Carmelo Anthony to New York.
  • Danny Green seems to save his best performances for the NBA Finals, notes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Green, who is headed for free agency, made six 3-pointers in Game 3 and is among just two players to make at least 15 Finals 3-pointers while shooting better than 50% from long range. “I don’t think it’s the stage,” Green said. “I think it’s just the life of a shooter. Sometimes you have ups and downs and I think luckily, during this time, I’ve had some ups.”
  • Knicks officials are confident that they will get a meeting with Leonard when free agency starts at the end of the month, relays Mark Berman of The New York Post. They may explore the possibility of teaming Leonard with Kevin Durant now that Kyrie Irving is rumored to be headed to Brooklyn.
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Wizards Notes: Brown, Workouts, GM Search

June 6th, 2019 at 7:42pm CST by clarkcrum

Ben Standig of NBC Sports Washington sat down with Wizards rookie Troy Brown Jr. to discuss his first year in the NBA, which began with an overwhelming welcome at the combine and finished with Brown becoming a calmer, wiser, 19-year-old man.

“I wouldn’t say I was lost (in regard to the 2018 NBA Combine), but I didn’t know what to expect,” Brown said. “I was just kind of going about things, trying to do everything the best I could. …I knew I was going to get drafted, but it was more about the work that I put in. Is it going to happen? I want to go this number (in the draft). There’s a lot of stuff running through your brain.”

Immediate expectations for Brown’s rookie season were not very high, as Washington came into the season with playoff aspirations and more. But after a disappointing 2018/19 campaign, Brown may be the most important player on the roster long term after All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal.

“It’s definitely weird not knowing who is going to be back and knowing our whole roster (might) be different… (but) (a)t the same time, you know it’s a business… I’m kind of use to it now. I had 24 teammates in one year.”

There’s more out of D.C. tonight:

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Klay Expected To Play In Game 4; Durant Out

June 6th, 2019 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

2:37pm: Durant will be sidelined for Game 4, Kerr told reporters today (Twitter link via Mark Medina of The Bay Area News Group). There was optimism that KD would be able to scrimmage today, but that won’t happen, according to Kerr, who added that the Warriors’ medical staff said the star forward is not yet game-ready (Twitter link via Blake Murphy of The Athletic).

Kerr confirmed that Thompson is expected to return for Game 4, and acknowledged that the possibility of Kevon Looney‘s return is now an “open question” (Twitter link via Murphy), as we relayed earlier today.

9:22am: Thompson will play in Game 4, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

8:47am: After falling to the Raptors on Wednesday night, the Warriors are hoping to add reinforcements to their short-handed roster in time for Game 4 on Friday night, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN.com.

As Friedell details – and as Tim Kawakami of The Athletic tweets – the Warriors are expecting Klay Thompson to be able to suit up on Friday after he was ruled out just before game time on Wednesday. Thompson wanted to play in Game 3, but Golden State decided to err on the side of caution with the sharpshooter’s hamstring injury.

“The whole point was to not risk a bigger injury that would keep him out of the rest of the series,” head coach Steve Kerr said, per Friedell. “So that was the decision we made, and I feel very comfortable with it. Never would have forgiven myself if I played him tonight and he had gotten hurt. … Klay has done well the last two days; now he has a couple more days to heal, and hopefully he’ll be out there on Friday.”

Meanwhile, Kevin Durant, who has been sidelined with a calf injury since Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals vs. Houston, is getting closer to a return as well. The Warriors are “cautiously optimistic” that KD will be able to play on Friday, according to Friedell. While Golden State isn’t expected to practice on Thursday, Kerr is hopeful that Durant will participate in some three-on-three scrimmages, Friedell notes.

“If possible, we’ll get him together with some of our young guys, maybe a few of our coaches, and try to get him out on the floor,” Kerr said of Durant. “That would be the next step.”

The Warriors have said throughout Durant’s recovery process that he’ll need to participate in at least one practice before he gets back on the court for a game. While Thursday’s session won’t technically be a full practice, it should give him an opportunity to take some contact, so the team figures to have an update at some point after those scrimmages.

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