OAKLAND — In somewhat surprising news, the Warriors announced Kevin Durant (left calf), Shaun Livingston (right index finger, hand contusion) and Matt Barnes (right ankle, foot sprain), are all questionable for Game 2 Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Steve Kerr wasn’t made aware of Durant’s calf injury until after the 121-109 Game 1 victory on Sunday. Kerr said the injury is not expected to keep Durant out for an extended period of time, but he did miss practice on Tuesday and very well could miss Game 2.
If both Durant and Barnes miss Game 2, it’s expected rookie Patrick McCaw would earn the starting nod. McCaw started 20 of 71 games in his first season, averaging 4 points per game in 15.1 minutes. The 6-foot-7 wing can hold his own defensively. Without Durant, Draymond Green will likely have to defend the post more instead of his customary freelance switching.
Kerr maintained Golden State will monitor this injury cautiously. There’s a chance Durant might play in limited minutes. In his first postseason game with the Warriors, Durant scored a team-high 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Durant’s injury would obviously be a tremendous opportunity for Portland. The Trail Blazers and Warriors were tied with each other at both halftime and at the end of the third quarter.