Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant has been dominant in these playoffs, and Charles Barkley doesn't think the Warriors can beat the Houston Rockets if Durant misses the rest of the series with his calf injury:
“The Warriors have no chance of winning without Kevin Durant. This series or any other series.” 👀
-Charles on Golden State pic.twitter.com/0KN2KDhb01
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 9, 2019
Durant suffered the injury late in the third quarter of the Warriors' 104-99 Game 5 victory on Wednesday. It was a non-contact injury after he landed on a jumper, sending the Warriors star straight to the locker room. After some speculation that it was an Achilles injury, it was announced as a calf strain.
Durant is currently slated for an MRI, but he already isn't expected to play in Friday's Game 6 back in Houston. A potential Game 7 at Oracle Arena would be on Sunday.
Durant's absence would obviously loom large, as Barkley noted. The 30-year-old is averaging 34.2 points on 51.3% shooting overall and 41.6% on 3-pointers in the playoffs. With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson slumping at times, Durant has consistently carried Golden State's offense.
However, it would be foolish to count out the Warriors even if Durant is out for a while. Curry and Thompson can catch fire at any time, and they both made huge plays after KD's injury in Game 5. Curry was going through another nightmare game before coming up big in the fourth quarter. Golden State outscored Houston by two points after Durant exited.
The Warriors are already without DeMarcus Cousins and could be without Durant, but Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green still form a formidable trio that has had a ton of success over the years. If they play well and get at least a little help, Golden State can prove Barkley wrong and win this series.
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