The return of Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant may have been short-lived; however, he still managed to leave his mark on this year's NBA Finals.
There had been plenty of speculation regarding Durant's status for Game 5. Although it was revealed that he would make his return, there was still some doubt regarding how effective he would be after missing a month of action due to the calf strain.
Fortunately, he quickly erased any doubt by going off for 11 points after catching fire from deep. He needed just 12 minutes to crack the top-10 for 3-pointers made in the Finals, via NBA Twitter:
Congrats to Kevin Durant of the @warriors for moving up to 10th on the #NBAFinals 3PM list! #StrengthInNumbers pic.twitter.com/Rg23ccLEpe
— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2019
Durant's presence provided the Warriors a much-needed spark early on. The bulk of his production came on the back his flawless effort from the 3-point line. Unfortunately, his return would be short-lived after he aggravated his calf-strain in the second quarter.
It is safe to say that Durant would have been able to move up several more spots had he been healthy enough to take part in the entire series. He needed just six more 3-pointers to break a three-way tie for seventh on the all-time list. Regardless, he would have had a difficult time breaking into the top three, with fellow teammates Steph Curry and Klay Thompson ranking first and third.
Durant's departure undoubtedly dealt a severe blow to the team's overall morale. Toronto has taken a commanding 3-1 series lead in his absence. Golden state had banked a potential resurgence on his return. The Warriors will now need to find another way to make more history.
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