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A22 SPORTS
Wednesday 5 June 2019
Kevin Durant

out for Game 3

of NBA Finals

By JANIE McCAULEY right side of his collarbone
AP Sports Writer area and will miss the re-
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The mainder of the finals.
Golden State Warriors will "He's had such a great sea-
take the floor once more son, such a great postsea-
without two-time reign- son run," coach Steve Kerr
ing NBA Finals MVP Kevin said. "Fortunately it won't
Durant, counting on their affect his future, but it's a
depth and home court to big loss for us."
carry them as they try to Here are some things to
inch closer to a three-peat. watch for going into Game
Durant is out for Game 3 3:
of the finals on Wednes- KAWHI SORE? NAH
day night, still not ready to Don't mind Kawhi Leon-
return for the two-time de- ard's limp. Like Thompson,
fending champions as he little will keep Toronto's star
works back from a strained guard off the court on the
right calf suffered during NBA's biggest stage. Not
the Western Conference with no more than five
semifinals. games left.
Durant didn't practice with "A hundred percent," Leon-
the Warriors on Tuesday, ard said of his health. "I'm
and he has yet to get on on the floor. There are no
the court for a structured excuses. Everybody knows
session since getting injured everyone's banged up,
May 8 in Game 5 against bruised up at this moment."
the Houston Rockets. Du- Leonard is averaging 30.9
rant was set to some work points this postseason.
on the court later Tuesday BOX-AND-ONE?
at the practice facility. Raptors coach Nick Nurse
Guard Klay Thompson was still hearing about his
practiced two days af- move to use an old school
ter sustaining a mild strain box-and-one with Fred Golden State Warriors Kevin Durant holds a ball during basketball practice at the NBA Finals in
to his left hamstring that VanVleet on Curry. Toronto, Saturday, June 1, 2019.
forced him out of Game 2. "In ninth grade a team Associated Press
He is listed as questionable played one against me,"
for Game 3. Kerr joked. "Very proud out with a torn left quadri- count on to get out into who scored nine points
The best-of-seven series to announce that. I had ceps muscle sustained in their push-the-pace tran- with three 3-pointers in the
with the Toronto Raptors is a box-and-one, just like Game 2 of the first round sition game. "It's always a fourth quarter, regularly re-
tied at 1-all. Steph." against the Clippers. Cous- game of rhythm a little bit sumes his shooting routine
Thompson said his discom- "Yeah, I know, everybody's ins didn't even make his and you have to watch moments after the final
fort Tuesday was bearable making fun of me for it, season debut until Jan. 18 what's happening. As you buzzer sounds.
— "the pain level wasn't too right?" Nurse quipped. at the Clippers following a know, we talk a lot about With all the injuries, all the
crazy at all." COUSINS' IMPACT nearly yearlong absence our shot spectrum, the Warriors must be ready to
"It will be a game-time de- DeMarcus Cousins shined while recovering from sur- shots we're trying to get," contribute.
cision. But for me person- during his first NBA Finals gery for a torn left Achilles Nurse said. "We have to get "The way that we play, ev-
ally, it would be hard to see start and just the fourth tendon. a certain amount of paint erybody feels involved on
me not playing. Hopefully, postseason game of his ca- RAPTORS SHOOTING touches. We have to get both ends of the floor and
I'll feel much better tomor- reer. Toronto went just 35 for 94 the ball side to side. Those has an opportunity to im-
row and be a go for tipoff," The big man had 11 points, (37.2 in Game 2, compared are things you just have to pact the game, not neces-
Thompson said. 10 rebounds, six assists and to 50.6% while winning the keep an eye on. I think we sarily scoring every posses-
Along with Durant, Golden two blocked shots over 28 series opener, including 11 just had some lulls in those sion but just playing within
State is also down backup minutes while playing in of 38 from 3-point range. three areas in Game 2." the flow and sharing the
big man Kevon Looney. He foul trouble in the 109-104 The Raptors' missed shots The Raptors were out- ball, moving, playing unself-
suffered a non-displaced Game 2 win Sunday. and defensive stops are scored 18-0 to start the third ishly," Stephen Curry said.
cartilage fracture on the All that after he had been exactly what the Warriors — "the quarter from hell" as "Just a style where every-
Nurse called it — and that body is going to get touch-
all but did them in before a es and you just have to
late rally that fell short. be confident and aggres-
GOLDEN DEPTH sive. So again, day to day
Kerr prepares his role play- it's just whoever is healthy.
ers all season to be ready Be ready to go, compete,
for moments on the big have fun doing it. Whoever
stage — because Kerr was is out there on the floor, just
/arubatoday/ one of the backups in his feel like you can help us win
day. At home, Quinn Cook, the game."q