Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant is expected to be a “full go” for Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors:

Kevin Durant missed the initial four games of the NBA Finals and nine straight contests altogether, dating back to his injury at the tail end of the third quarter of Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Houston Rockets.

Having missed a full month of on-court action, Durant returned to practice on Sunday, giving Golden State hope he would rejoin the team after his prolonged absence. Head coach Steve Kerr wasn't clear on the work he did on Monday after being closely examined by head trainer Rick Celebrini:

“It looked good and we'll see where it all goes,” said Kerr, not saying if he engaged fully in three-on-three or five-on-five workouts. “A little of this, a little of that.”

The perennial All-Star was leading the playoffs with a scoring average of 34.2 points per game before he went down with his injury, forcing the rest of his team to fend off their opponents without him.

The Warriors won the last 14-plus minutes of Game 5 against the Rockets and proceeded to win the next five contests without Durant, but they have so far run into a red-hot Raptors squad, now putting them on the brink of elimination.

Golden State could use a player of Durant's caliber, even if it means him being at less than his full capabilities, knowing the impact a player of his caliber can have in such a high-stakes game.

The Warriors have a daunting task ahead, though, forced to win two of their next three games on the road at a suffocatingly loud Scotiabank Arena, including a potential Game 7.