Kevin Durant records double-double in return to action
The Golden State Warriors have been playing like the best team in the league for the last several weeks. The offense has been clicking and the defensive intensity turned up. They did all that without Kevin Durant.
The Warriors’ superstar free agent acquisition returned to action after being sidelined since February 28, He went down with a knee injury, suffering a Grade 2 MCL sprain. After weeks of rehab, he finally was cleared to step onto the court.
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Golden State was without Stephen Curry in this one. He was resting with what they called a knee contusion after he took a beating in Phoenix. This gave Durant an even brighter green light.
He wasn’t on a minutes restriction heading into this game. He played 30 minutes in a 123-101 blowout victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. He was 6/15 from the line, but he missed all four of his three-pointers. He had 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Klay Thompson led the team in scoring. He had 20 points on 31 percent shooting. It was an inefficient night by his standards, but he did enough to give his team the boost.
The Warriors took care of the ball today. They had just 9 assists. They had 49 field goals on 36 assists. The Pelicans were also careful with the rock as they only turned it over 8 times.
New Orleans rested both DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis tonight. With Curry also out, Durant’s return made this game worth watching. The Warriors have to be glad that they were able to get KD some time on the floor.
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Matt Barnes suffered an injury. He went up to bat out a loose ball and landed on a Pelican foot. He twisted his ankle and hobbled to the locker room. X-rays were negative, but it could sideline him until the postseason.
Durant’s jumper wasn’t there, but it didn’t need to be against a short-handed Pelicans team. The Warriors have two more games to continue to build a rhythm as they head into the playoffs.