Raptors vs. Warriors: Durant Leaves On Crutches As Splash Brothers Step Up

UPDATE: 12.30 a.m. EDT - Warriors general manager Bob Myers has confirmed that Kevin Durant suffered an Achilles injury during Monday night's game and it was not a relapse of his right calf injury. He was making a comeback after a month on the sidelines but managed just 12 minutes before going down early in the second quarter.

Original story:

Golden State Warriors’ gamble of playing Kevin Durant did not pay off completely as the forward suffered relapse of his calf injury. But the reigning champions survived the night by scraping to a 106-105 victory over Toronto Raptors, who looked in the ascendency in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter with Kawhi Leonard stepping up with 10 straight points.

Durant scored 11 points in 12 minutes but pulled up early in the second quarter going to the floor with his hand on his right leg. The small forward had to be helped off court and did not return for the rest of the game. He was later seen leaving the arena on crutches, which seems like he is unlikely to return for the rest of the series.

He is set to undergo an MRI on Tuesday and overall it seemed like a desperate move by the Warriors as they looked to stay alive in the NBA Finals series. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson came up with two clutch three-pointers in the final two minutes to secure the win after Kawhi Leonard got 10 points in two minutes to convert a three point deficit into a six-point lead.

The Warriors led by as many as 14 in the third quarter but the Raptors slowly reduced the deficit and took the lead for the first time since the first minute of the game with just over five minutes remaining in the fourth. The Raptors looked to have the momentum and had the ball with 15.6 seconds on the clock and down by just one point. But it was good defense by the reigning champions and Kyle Lowry was unable to get a good look before the buzzer went off to keep the NBA Finals alive for at least one more game, which will be the final game at the Oracle Arena.

The Warriors also lost Kevon Looney after the center aggravated his collar bone injury during the game. Steve Kerr admitted that he was devastated for Durant claiming that it was an incredible win and a horrible loss at the same time.

Curry praised the team despite not playing their best in the second half as they blew a big lead and almost lost the game. But he said it was all about winning Game 5 and then going back to the drawing board ahead of Game 6 at the Oracle Arena.

The Warriors point guard also praised Thompson and Green, while also thinking Durant for sacrificing his body for the team with a crucial 11 points in the first quarter. The Warriors lost two players to injury on the night but showed that they are not ready to give up on their 3-peat dreams, and while the Raptors are still slight favorites, they will wonder if it was a missed opportunity on Monday night.