In the space between Golden State’s Tuesday night game against Washington and an official announcement the next morning, the NBA came to a halt. The result of the game was almost beside the point. Of greater interest was the concerning way that Kevin Durant had left it, the result of unfortunate and incidental contact with teammate Zaza Pachulia. A box-out tussle with Wizards center Marcin Gortat had sent Pachulia to the ground, where the back of his head collided with Durant’s knee. There was a visible jolt for Durant—the kind that immediately sparks fears of structural damage. Those fears were only heightened by a somber Warriors locker room and the news overnight that Golden State would scrap its plans to add Jose Calderon so that it sign forward Matt Barnes instead.
Kevin Durant's Injury Removes Warriors' Safety Net
