Kevin Durant Undergoes Successful Surgery for Ruptured Achilles
Kevin Durant has undergone surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles after exiting Game 5 of the NBA Finals with an injury, he announced on Instagram on Wednesday.
He wrote, "My road back starts now! I got my family and my loved ones by my side and we truly appreciate all the messages and support people have sent our way. Like I said Monday, I'm hurting deeply, but I'm OK. Basketball is my biggest love and I wanted to be out there that night because that’s what I do. I wanted to help my teammates on our quest for the three peat.
"It's just the way things go in this game and I'm proud that I gave it all I physically could, and I'm proud my brothers got the W. It's going to be a journey but I'm built for this. I’m a hooper I know my brothers can get this Game 6, and I will be cheering with dub nation while they do it."
Durant left the Warriors' 106–105 win in the second quarter after appearing to re-injure his calf. When Durant went down, Raptors fans cheered and had to be quieted by Toronto and Golden State players. The team later announced Durant would undergo an MRI on Tuesday, and he left the arena in the third quarter of the matchup.
In an emotional press conference following the game, Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers confirmed Durant suffered an Achilles injury that was different from the original calf injury. Durant posted on Instagram after the game, saying the Game win gave him "new life."
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski reported late an MRI will show it is likely a torn right Achilles tendon.
Before his Game 5 appearance, Durant had not played for Golden State since injuring his calf against the Rockets on May 9. He recorded 11 points in Game 5.
The Raptors now lead the series 3–2, and Game 6 will be Thursday at Oracle Arena at 9 p.m. ET.
