OAKLAND — Kevin Durant’s season-ending Achilles injury adds one more aspect to the multi-layered motivation the Warriors will take into Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.
The Warriors, down 3-2 to Toronto, are fighting to stay alive in their quest for a third straight NBA title. They’re also preparing to play their final game ever at Oracle Arena, their Oakland home for 47 years.
The Durant factor plays into all of it, just three days after he was injured in the second quarter at Toronto. The two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP underwent surgery Wednesday and the team is honoring both their building and their star by giving fans rally towels that read, “For OAK LAND,” with the the letters KD stacked atop each other.