Game 2 preview: Will Warriors" Kevin Durant play vs. Blazers?

Stephen Curry talks about playing without Kevin Durant for Game 2 vs Trail Blazers

Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle

Kevin Durant (35) high-fives fans after an NBA playoffs game between the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trailblazers in Oakland, California, on Sunday, April 16, 2017.Golden State Warriors defeated the Portland Trailblazers 121-109. less Kevin Durant (35) high-fives fans after an NBA playoffs game between the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trailblazers in Oakland, California, on Sunday, April 16, 2017.Golden State Warriors defeated the ... more Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle

Game 2 preview: Will Warriors Kevin Durant play vs. Blazers?

Warriors vs. Trail Blazers

Game 2, first round

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland

Coaches: Steve Kerr, 3rd season with Warriors (207-39 with Warriors and overall); Terry Stotts, 5th season with Blazers (223-187 with Blazers and 338-355 overall)

On air: TV on TNT, NBC Sports Bay Area; Radio on 95.7 The Game

Records: Warriors (67-15, 1-0); Blazers (41-41, 0-1)

Projected starters: Warriors: PG Stephen Curry (29.0 ppg, 4.0 apg), SG Klay Thompson (15.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg), SF Kevin Durant (32.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg), PF Draymond Green (19.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 9.0 apg), C Zaza Pachulia (4.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg)

Blazers: PG Damian Lillard (34.0 ppg, 3.0 apg), SG C.J. McCollum (41.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg), SF Evan Turner (12.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg), PF Maurice Harkless (11.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg), C Noah Vonleh (2.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg)

Warriors injury report: SF Matt Barnes (right ankle sprain), SF Kevin Durant (left calf strain) and PG Shaun Livingston (right index finger sprain) are questionable. SF Kevon Looney (left hip strain) is out.

Blazers injury report: C Jusuf Nurkic (right leg), PF Ed Davis (left shoulder) and C Festus Ezeli (left knee) are out.

Betting line: Warriors by 13.5 points

Things to watch:

>> Will Kevin Durant play? The eight-time All-Stars official designation of questionable suggests that he has a 50 percent chance of playing in Game 2. After re-evaluating him during shoot-around Wednesday, the Warriors training staff will determine whether he should be available. Odds are that, if Durant is even experiencing slight pain, he will sit. Ensuring he is healthy for the rest of the playoffs is far more important than Wednesdays result. If Durant is ruled out, itll be intriguing to see who fills his minutes. Matt Barnes and Shaun Livingston are also qestionable, and Kevon Looney is out.

>> Will Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum get any help? Portlands backcourt duo did all that could be expected of them in Game 1, totaling 75 points on 28-for-54 (51.6 percent) shooting. As for their teammates? They mustered a combined 34 points on 12-for-39 (30.1 percent) shooting. It is no surprise that, when Lillard and McCollum began to tire in the fourth quarter, the Warriors ran away for a convincing win. With Jusuf Nurkic ruled out again, a supporting cast that includes Allen Crabbe, Evan Turner, Maurice Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu will need to shoulder a heavier load Wednesday for the Blazers to have a shot at stealing the victory.

>> Can Klay Thompson bounce back from a rough Game 1? One of the few warts in Sundays win over the Blazers was the three-time All-Stars performance. In addition to going 6-for-16 from the field and 1-for-6 from three-point range, Thompson struggled against Lillard and McCollum. No one is immune from the occasional off outing. But with Durants status in flux, the Warriors surely hope Thompson returns to form Wednesday. Golden State is a lethal matchup when both Thompson and Stephen Curry are thriving.

Quotable: Anybody whos going through that, you feel bad because everyone wants to play especially this time of year, when it matters the most. Theres no kind of sugar-coating that at all. It sucks to miss playoff games and not be out there with your teammates. - stephen curry on kevin durants calf injury

Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com . Twitter: @Con_Chron

Source: http://www.sfgate.com/warriors/article/Game-2-preview-Will-Warriors-Kevin-Durant-11082845.php

Continue Reading ..

Patriots" Terrance Knighton ready to resume Kevin Durant recruitment to Celtics

F*CK KEVIN DURANT!!! #GSWvsOKC GAME 6 RANT

With good friend Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder one win away from a trip to the NBA Finals, New England Patriots defensive lineman Terrance Knighton has paused his attempts to coerce the former MVP to join the Boston Celtics this summer.

But the Windsor, Connecticut, native who signed this offseason with the Patriots has pledged to resume his full-court press once Durant"s season is over.

"I"m leaving him alone right now. Letting him finish up," Knighton told reporters earlier this week at Patriots" offseason training activities at Gillette Stadium.

"I love how he"s playing. I hope that he wins [an NBA title], kind of hope that he doesn"t. But as soon as the season"s over, if he"s hoisting the trophy or not, I"ll be texting him every day, calling him, flying down to OKC. I"ll be in his ear a lot. Trust me."

Knighton has previously noted how he and Durant clicked when introduced a few years back. Knighton visited Durant in Oklahoma City and posted some video of the two playing one-on-one at the team"s practice facility.

While many have wondered whether Oklahoma City"s strong playoff showing has made it more likely that Durant will re-sign with the Thunder when he reaches free agency this summer, the 6-foot-3, 354-pound Knighton says he"s an expert at applying pressure.

Having Knighton in New England can"t hurt. He played last season in Washington, Durant"s hometown and another potential suitor this summer if the free agent explores his options.

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4723187/patriots-terrance-knighton-ready-to-resume-kevin-durant-recruitment-to-celtics

Continue Reading ..

Watch Kevin Durant reenact one of Michael Jordan"s most famous shots

Kevin Durant vs Stephen Curry SUPERSTARS Duel 2016.02.06 - KD With 40 Pts, 26, 10 Ast For Steph!

By: Nick Schwartz| February 6, 2016 1:20 pmFollow @Nick_Schwartz

Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant visited the ESPN studio to participate in a Sports Science segment, during which he tried to replicate Julius Ervings behind-the-backboard layup, Allen Iversons nastiest crossover, and The Shot.

Durant makes it look easy against some lax defense, but his version of The Shot pales in comparison to his lesser-known reenactment of crying Jordan.

Photo via AP

Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, NBA

Source: http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/02/kevin-durant-reenact-michael-jordan-the-shot-sports-science

Continue Reading ..

Report: Warriors heavy favorites if Kevin Durant leaves Thunder

Kevin Durant The Offseason Full Documentary

The Golden State Warriors are significant favorites to sign Kevin Durant should he leave the Oklahoma City Thunder as a free agent this summer, reports Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski.

Durant becomes an unrestricted free agent for the first time at the end of the season, and though he is reportedly far from a decision to leave the Thunder, the 27-year-old forward will have a serious suitor in the defending champion, 444 Warriors.

Wojnarowski reports Warriors forwardDraymond Green, one of the teams leaders, is behind the potential push for Durant in an unflinching manner. Fitting him into Golden States salary situation would take some maneuvering, most likely including the departures of forwards Harrison Barnes and Andre Iguodala, for cap purposes. But from a financial standpoint, the Warriors in theory have the flexibility to make a serious bid for Durant.

WOO:Everything you need to know about Kevin Durants free agency

Oh man, thats part of the business, Barnes told the San Francisco Chronicles Rusty Simmons. Hes a great player. If thats the move they want to make, you know, hopefully, it works out.

Washington, Houston and Miami are all expected to be suitors and have been tied to Durant previously. Wojnarowski reports the Clippers can be added to that mix, and that the Lakersare an extreme long shot.

Warriors continue to build case as best NBA team of all time

SI staff writer Ben Golliver breaks down the Golden State Warriors" blowout victory over the San Antonio Spurs and explains why it"ll be difficult for any team to knock off the Warriors in Oakland.

Durant will team with Green, reigning MVP Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson as teammates during next weekends All-Star festivities, and has also trained with them as part of USA Basketball.

WOO: Latest Power Rankings: Warriors have a real shot at 72 wins

Adding one of the NBAs top players to its top team would be a major shakeup to the league landscape. Durant becomes a free agent on July 1.

- Jeremy Woo

Source: http://www.si.com/nba/2016/02/02/kevin-durant-golden-state-warriors-free-agency-stephen-curry?xid%3Daol_home

Continue Reading ..

Can Enes Kanter help save the Thunder with Kevin Durant out?

The Turkish center is proving he can produce at a high level on offense but his defensive shortcomings limit his impact.

Enes Kanter was not happy in Utah. With no one to mask his flaws and Rudy Gobert looming as a potential replacement, he asked for a trade and the Jazz obliged. Since arriving at Oklahoma City he's showing why he was the third pick in the 2011 draft, displaying his offensive talent and helping the Thunder's playoffs hopes stay afloat. Yet a closer look to his performance suggests he still has a lot of growing to do as a player despite his gaudy numbers.

Kanter is averaging 16.5 points and 10.4 rebounds in his new team and is scoring efficiently now that he has abandoned his jumper. The Jazz wanted him to be able to stretch the floor, since he was sharing the court with another inside scorer in Derrick Favors and Kanter didn't project to be a rim protector. As a result, he was forced to float around the perimeter instead of playing to his strengths. In his time with the Jazz, only 52.6 of his shot attempts came within the restricted area. With the Thunder, that number has climbed to 73.7 percent, which explains the jump in his field goal percentage since the trade.

Playing closer to the rim has resulted in an increase in the number of offensive rebounds and free throws Kanter gets. Kanter is also posting up more and excelling, ranking in the 87th percentile in the league since joining the Thunder. To put it in simple terms, all he needed to unleash his potential as an offensive player was the opportunity to play like a traditional big man. Oklahoma City is reaping the benefits, scoring 109.7 points per 100 possessions with Kanter on the court, over five more than the team's average.

Defensively is where Kanter still hasn't found his bearings. The Thunder only outscore opponents by .6 points with Kanter playing because everything he does for the team on offense, they give back on defense when he's on the court. Opponents know he's not a rim protector (he allows 52.4 percent on shots he defends at the rim), so they go into attack mode, taking almost four percent more close shots when he's on the court as opposed to off, according to the league's media stats site. That's the area in which the Thunder will miss Kendrick Perkins, the player they traded for Kanter, now that Serge Ibaka is injured.

It's not uncommon for young big men to struggle defensively and Kanter is too big to continue averaging under a block per game for much longer. He simply needs to adjust to a new role after having Derrick Favors behind him in Utah and accept the responsibility that comes with being a defensive anchor. Ideally, that would have happened over time as Ibaka and Steven Adams handled the role, but Oklahoma City needs him to step up right now. So far the results have not been encouraging -- any pairing of Kanter and another big allows more points than the team does on average.

Kanter is showing that he is a gifted offensive player who can be efficient on a large role and offer a post presence on a good team. The next step -- and what could end up determining whether he stays in Oklahoma City after this season -- will be to improve enough on defense to not actively hurt his team on that end. Kanter is just 22 years old, but the sooner it happens, the better the Thunder's chances will be to get to the playoffs and make some noise.

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2015/3/21/8270115/enes-kanter-oklahoma-city-thunder

Continue Reading ..