Warriors star Kevin Durant out for rest of West semifinals with strained right calf

Oakland, Calif. • Kevin Durant will miss the remainder of the Golden State Warriors’ Western Conference semifinal against the Houston Rockets with a strained right calf.

An MRI exam Thursday confirmed the Warriors' initial diagnosis. The team is traveling back to Houston for Friday's Game 6 but Durant stayed behind in the Bay Area to undergo treatment. He is to be re-evaluated next week, meaning if there is a Game 7 in the series Sunday he would be out of that one as well. The Warriors lead the series 3-2.

Durant limped to the locker room after landing awkwardly on his right foot following a baseline jumper with 2:11 left in the third quarter of Wednesday's 104-99 victory at Oracle Arena.

The Warriors initially feared the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP might have injured his Achilles, a far more serious issue.

He finished with 22 points, five rebounds and four assists. Durant was averaging 35.4 points in the playoffs coming into the day.

from The Salt Lake Tribune http://bit.ly/2VrPk2P