Kevin Durant Injury: How Much Time Will The Golden State Warriors’ Star Miss? Return For Playoffs Uncertain

The Golden State Warriors have hit their first major obstacle on the road to making a third straight NBA Finals appearance. Kevin Durant will miss at least a month, and likely more, with an MCL sprain and a bone bruise in his left knee.

Durant suffered the injury Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards, leaving the game in the first quarter. An MRI revealed that Durant has a Grade 2 medial collateral ligament sprain, and he’ll be re-evaluated in four weeks.

While the news certainly isn’t good for the Warriors, the team might have breathed a sigh of relief when they learned of the test results. After Durant got hurt, there was a fear that he could miss a few months, forcing him to sit out the entirety of the postseason.

The playoffs begin on April 15, giving Durant a little more than six weeks to get back on the court for the first round. Even without the All-Star forward, Golden State would be a heavy favorite over their opponent.

The 2017 NBA Finals don’t start until June 1, though Golden State’s path through the Western Conference playoffs just got a little tougher. They might have to beat the San Antonio Spurs or the Houston Rockets, both of whom have more wins than LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors have a four-game lead over the Spurs for the best record in the conference.

Golden State dealt with an injury to their best player in last year’s postseason. Stephen Curry suffered a right knee injury in Game 1 of the first round, as well as an MCL sprain in Game 5 of the same series, forcing him to miss six total playoff games. He played the entirety of the conference finals and the NBA Finals, but he didn’t perform at the same level that made him the first-ever unanimous MVP in the regular season.

The Warriors have already clinched a playoff berth.