Kevin Durant suffers an Achilles’ injury in Game 5 of the NBA Finals

After nearly four weeks off the court because of a calf injury, Kevin Durant returned for Game 5 of the NBA Finals. He made it 12 minutes before leaving with what was later revealed to be an Achilles’ injury.

For weeks, one of the biggest storylines of the playoffs has been playing out off the court. Kevin Durant suffered a calf strain in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Houston Rockets. The question of whether or not he’d be able to return in time to make a difference in the NBA Finals took on even greater importance as the Raptors took two games on the road and pulled out a 3-1 series lead.

Durant returned for Game 5 and was incredible in the first quarter, draining 3-pointers and racking up 11 points in 12 minutes. And then, dribbling on the wing, he appeared to reinjure his calf and had to be helped off the court. It was another non-contact injury but slow-motion video shared widely on social media appeared to show his calf twitching violently before he went down. It seemed obvious that Durant would not return and video later showed him leaving the arena on crutches.

This was almost certainly going to be the end of his NBA Finals run but, after the game, it was revealed that the injury was much more serious than a re-aggravation of the previous calf injury. After the normal postgame pressers had wrapped, Warriors president Bob Myers took the podium, fighting back tears, and announced that Durant had suffered an Achilles’ injury.

Durant will receive an MRI tomorrow with more details to follow but recent Achilles’ tears for players like DeMarcus Cousins and Kobe Bryant had recovery timelines that spanned a season or more. If it is an Achilles’ tear, it could be a devastating blow to Durant’s athleticism and chew up a significant portion of his remaining prime years, right as he is about to enter free agency and potentially reshape the competitive balance of the league.

The injury will also, unfortunately, leave plenty of room for hot takes and finger-pointing. The perception is that the Warriors were working the media and, probably, Durant behind closed doors urging him to get back on the floor. Myers was quick to point out that he had been cleared by their medical staff and this was a collaborative decision but that won’t quiet the indignant columns to come. In addition, Durant’s initial injury looked to many amateur Twitter doctors to be an Achilles’ injury and the fact that he later sustained one will be forever linked.

Here’s hoping the injury is not as serious as it looks and Durant’s recovery passes in the blink of an eye.