NBA analyst Charles Barkley had some harsh words for the Golden State Warriors following the injury to Kevin Durant. Durant, who had missed multiple games throughout the NBA Playoffs, returned to the court in Game 5 against the Toronto Raptors but went down in the second quarter after reaggravating his Achilles injury.
According to Barkley, the Warriors are to blame for the injury for forcing Durant back sooner than he was ready.
“You’ve been asking these guys all morning if there’s somebody to blame. Yes, there is somebody to blame! The Golden State Warriors for putting KD out there. Listen, that was not right. If you go back and look at the last two weeks, the article comes out ‘KD’s worst nightmare: The Warriors are winning without him.’ Then you read the articles ‘the Warriors are really unhappy that KD won’t risk his Achilles … they’re frustrated with KD.’ Now this man has to be feeling some kind of weight,” Barkley said.
“So I blame the Warriors for KD getting hurt, and I don’t care what they say about it. They shouldn’t have put that man out there. You know how I know it? Because he blew out his Achilles!”
Barkley’s comments echo what a lot of experts have been saying about the Warriors rushing Durant back to the court.
Despite their win Monday night, Toronto continues to hold a 3-2 lead in the series. Game 6 will take place on Thursday, June 13 at 9:00 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena. If the Warriors are able to pull out another win, Toronto will host Golden State in Game 7 on Sunday, June 16. Let’s hope that fans on both sides can keep things classy the next time the two teams meet on the court.
