Kevin Durant asked when this rib injury hurts: “It hurts when I laugh.”
(He then laughs)
“You made me laugh.” pic.twitter.com/cW1MlmYJPa— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 17, 2018
Courtesy of The Athletic’s Anthony Slater
OAKLAND — About 30 minutes before tipoff on Friday night, the Warriors announced Kevin Durant suffered an incomplete rib cartilage fracture.
Durant hurt his ribs on March 11 at Minnesota. He said he originally thought it was just a contusion, as he finished the game. He played again on Wednesday night, but the injury flared up again.
“It was a little sore the next couple days, but not something I would worry about,” Durant said on Friday. “The (Lakers) game, I went out to close out on the wing, and I felt something stretch, pull. I felt discomfort in the first half. The next day it got sore. I worked out yesterday. It took me a while to loosen up, and then this morning it was really, really sore. So I wanted to take a look at it. That’s what the MRI showed. Hopefully it gets better the next week or so, and see what happens.”
Durant didn’t play on Friday night. The Warriors said he will be reevaluated in two weeks.
Injury update: Kevin Durant underwent an MRI today that revealed an incomplete rib cartilage fracture. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) March 17, 2018
The news comes amid a brutal stretch of injuries that have plagued Golden State’s roster. Stephen Curry has sat out the past week due to an injured ankle. Klay Thompson is sitting out a second straight game due to a fractured thumb. Draymond Green, who returns tonight, sat out Wednesday night’s game with shoulder stiffness.
With the playoffs starting on April 14, the Warriors have some time to heal their stars. It seems Durant’s injury won’t jeopardize his playoff availability, but he said he has never dealt with this type of injury in his career.
“(It’s a) different type of pain than I have felt before, so I didn’t really know what it was,” Durant said. “I am just glad I got it looked at.”