With the series tied at two games apiece, the Golden State Warriors went back home to Oracle and defeated the Houston Rockets by a score of 104-99. It was a close game that had plenty of twists and turns although perhaps the biggest story of the game was an injury to Kevin Durant that had many people fearing the worst. During the third quarter, Durant went for a jump shot and when he landed, he looked back down at his ankle, all while hobbling along in considerable pain. Durant ended up leaving the game and never came back with what was described as a right calf strain. According to ESPN, Durant will undergo an MRI on Thursday to assess the injury.
"We're all obviously disappointed for him," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game. "And excited about the win, but concerned for Kevin and disappointed for him. He's been on this incredible playoff run, and I'm proud of our guys for pulling the game out. And we'll see how Kevin's doing tomorrow."
Many though Durant's injury was to his Achilles, although as Kerr explained, he was told right away by the training staff that it was much less serious than people thought.
"It's not the Achilles," Kerr said. "When I walked into the coach's office after the game, the replay of the play was going on. I thought the same thing, because he kind of looked back like he had been kicked or something. I've seen that before with guys who have hurt their Achilles. That was my first question. I was assured it's a calf strain, not the Achilles."
Durant had 22 points when he left the game and had an immediate impact on the game. If Durant were to miss the rest of the series, the Rockets would surely have a bit of a competitive advantage considering Durant has been the MVP of the postseason.