"I don't think he touched the rim"- Pascal Siakam says Kevin Durant was unstoppable before disastrous injury in the 2019 NBA finals

Kevin Durant’s Achilles injury in the 2019 NBA Finals was likely the biggest reason why the Golden State Warriors lost to the Toronto Raptors. Durant played only one game in that series, allowing the Raptors to cut the gap in terms of talent and firepower.

In an episode of the Draymond Green Show, Toronto All-Star forward Pascal Siakam had this to say about KD’s long-anticipated appearance in Game 5:

“It was always a debate. Is KD gonna play? We get there and it’s like, ‘Yo.’ He’s warming up. Alright, KD’s here, he’s playing. In our heads, we were thinking like, the momentum is on us. We get in that game, bro and it was like, ‘Oh, my god.’

“I don’t think he touched the rim one time. I don’t think he touched the net, bro. It was just straight. I’m just like, ‘This is gonna be a long night.’ If there was any panic at any time, I think it would have been like that point.

“It’s tough to guard Klay, Steph, you [Green]. It’s crazy but then you add KD. He’s really unguardable. You just gotta do your best and challenge the best that you can and just hope that he miss."

Before the 2019 NBA Finals, Kevin Durant last played in Game 5 of the Western Conference semis against James Harden and the Houston Rockets. Durant suffered a calf strain late in the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ win. Golden State eliminated the Rockets in Game 6 without the two-time finals MVP.

The Bay Area team’s collection of talents was so absurd that they didn’t even need the “Slim Reaper” in dispatching the Portland Trail Blazers in the conference finals. Steph Curry averaged 36.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG and 7.3 APG in that series. Draymond Green was at his all-around best, averaging 16.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 8.8 APG and 2.3 SPG.

The Blazers still had to account for Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Kevon Looney and Shaun Livingston. Golden State swept Portland even without Kevin Durant.

The 2019 Toronto Raptors posed a different challenge for Steph Curry and his teammates. Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, Fred VanVleet and Danny Green were formidable opponents.

Without Kevin Durant, the Raptors zoomed into a 3-1 series lead. It was do-or-die for the Warriors, who could go home to San Francisco without the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the bag. Durant’s availability was crucial to Golden State’s dying championship hopes.

Durant played nearly 12 minutes, scoring 11 points on 3-5 shooting and hitting all of his shots from behind the arc. The Achilles injury eventually forced him out of the series. He left the Golden State Warriors that summer to form another superteam with Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn.

---

Did the Golden State Warriors rush Kevin Durant’s Game 5 return?

Prior to the calf injury, Kevin Durant led the 2019 playoffs in scoring with 34.2 points on 51.2% shooting. He was the reigning NBA Finals MVP and arguably the best player in the said postseason. The Golden State Warriors were on their heels all series long against the Toronto Raptors without him.

After Durant injured his Achilles, rumors came flying that the Warriors pressured him to return for Game 5.

KD debunked these stories:

“I heard the Warriors pressured me into getting back. Nobody never said a word to me during rehab as I was coming back.

“It was only me and [director of sports medicine and performance] Rick [Celebrini] working out every day. Right when the series started, I targeted Game 5. … [Expletive] happens. Nobody was responsible for it. Hell, nah. It just happened. It’s basketball."

---

You may also like to read: "Take your time, don't rush it" - Kevin Durant's advice to Klay Thompson