Kevin Durant cleared to practice, will return Saturday

Golden State Warriors star forward Kevin Durant has been cleared to fully practice, will return Saturday against the Pelicans.

Kevin Durant was having a tremendous season in his first stint with the Warriors, before suffering a Grade 2 MCL sprain, and tibial bone bruise in his left knee on Feb. 28. It has sidelined him for the last five or six weeks, and he had been gradually ramping up his activity on the court in recent anticipating a return before the playoffs begin. It was rumored that he might be able to return for Saturday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, and he was cleared to fully practice today which is a good sign that he will be able to return for that game.

Golden State struggled the first few games without Durant in their lineup, but they eventually found their groove and have won their last 13 games in a row. With that said though, the former MVP Durant will be welcomed with open arms by his teammates. Despite their recent success, the Warriors have been a much better team with him on the court:

Before he suffered his injury, Durant was averaging 25.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and a career high 1.6 blocks per game. He showcased an all-around game that we have come accustomed to over the course of his nine-year career.

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Durant has been working hard to get back on the court in recent weeks hoping to have time to build a rhythm back up with his teammates before the playoffs begin. He has been relatively healthy throughout his career, with the exception of his 2014-2015 season where he suffered a broken foot and was only able to appear in 27 games, so it’s nice to see him return on track and hopefully put this behind him. With Durant set to return Saturday, his minutes will probably be limited out of the gate, but the basketball world will be glad to see him in action once again.