While the Toronto Raptors will have a chance to close out the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals on Monday night, things may be about to get a lot tougher.
According to NBC Sports’ Monte Pool, Warriors star Kevin Durant is expected to be “full go” for Game 5 in Toronto. The Warriors have been without Durant since he injured his calf in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
If Durant is close to 100 percent, he could have a massive impact on the remainder of the Finals. Prior to his injury, he was averaging 34.2 points per game on 50/40/90 shooting splits.
The Warriors didn’t have a problem closing out the Rockets or sweeping the Portland Trailblazers in Durant’s absence. However, the Raptors have proven to be a different story. Their length on the perimeter — specifically Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam — and defensive identity have proved too much for Golden State so far.
The Warriors are also dealing with injuries to All-Star guard Klay Thompson and key big man Kevon Looney. Center DeMarcus Cousins is also still working his way back from a quad injury he suffered in the first round vs. the Clippers. That trio all played in Game 4 — to varying degrees of success — and are expected back in Game 5.
Durant’s expected return could have an interesting impact on the betting lines. Toronto opened as a consensus 2.5-point favorite at home in Game 5, but that was bet down to 1.5-points prior to this Durant report. Despite Toronto’s dominance at Oracle Arena in Games 3 and 4, oddsmakers still seem to believe in the Warriors.
Tipoff is slated for 9 p.m. ET tonight and will be broadcast on ABC.