Joe Lacob says Kevin Durant will be back for Finals
Kevin Durant still has no official timetable to return, but Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob seems to be spilling some tea on that front.
After the Warriors advanced to their fifth straight NBA Finals with a 119-117 overtime victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, Lacob spoke on the injured forward with Sam Amick of The Athletic.
“I don’t know if you forgot so quickly how in the first round, and the second round, and how everyone was saying Kevin was the greatest player in the world and he was dominant,” said Lacob. “So he was incredibly important.
“Unfortunately, he got injured,” Lacob continued about Durant. “He’s coming back now for the Finals, and so the story’s not fully written yet.”
The reigning back-to-back Finals MVP suffered a calf strain during Game 5 of the Western Conference Semis against the Houston Rockets and has missed five straight games and counting since then. With Golden State sweeping the Blazers however, that gives them nine full days of rest before the Finals start on May 30, which would mark roughly three weeks since Durant went down.
Durant appears to be getting antsy on the sidelines, especially with the team undefeated since his injury. Lacob’s comments make it seem like he will be back sooner than later though.
