You Can Get Plus-Odds on the Warriors Winning the NBA Championship After Durant Exits Game 5

• The Warriors lead their Western Conference semifinal series 3-2 over the Rockets
• Kevin Durant was taken out of Game 5 late Wednesday night with a right calf strain
• Durant is averaging 45 minutes per game during this series

Despite their dramatic win in Game 5, the Golden State Warriors saw their NBA Championship odds change from -160 on May 6th to +110 on May 9th. This is the first time since June 2018 that the Warriors have had plus-odds to win the title.

2019 NBA Championship Odds

Odds taken 05/09/19.

When Kevin Durant went to the locker room after suffering a non-contact injury on his lower leg, everybody at Oracle Arena held their breath.

The Warriors announced Kevin Durant suffered a right calf strain after he exited Game 5 during the 3rd quarter. pic.twitter.com/3rSHn2g9FV

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 9, 2019

The most we’ve heard on the injury is that it is a right calf strain, but the Achilles was ruled out. According to Steve Kerr, Durant will not be playing Game 6.

Durant’s Impact Has Been Huge

During the 2019 NBA Playoffs, Durant has become a force to be reckoned with, averaging numbers that led the Warriors in most categories:

• 35.4 points
• 5.2 rebounds
• 5.0 assists
• 51.8% shooting from the floor
• 42.9% shooting from three

OG Splash Brothers

When Kevin Durant left the game with just over two minutes left in the third, the Warriors led 68-65, and had already allowed Houston to come back from a 20-point deficit.

Steph Curry scored 16 points on 5-9 from the floor and 2-3 from beyond the arc following Durant’s exit.

Curry’s numbers before Durant left were nine points on 4-14 shooting from the field and 1-8 from beyond the three-point line. His numbers after were 16 points on 5-9 from the floor and 2-3 from beyond the arc. Klay Thompson also came up big with a key lay-up with 4.1 seconds left in the fourth, and Draymond Green knocked down some open threes.

Missed Opportunity for Houston

Did the Houston Rockets miss an opportunity to head back to the Toyota Center with a 3-2 lead? Neither James Harden nor Chris Paul seemed to step it up with more than a quarter left when Durant had exited the game.

James Harden final 10 minutes of the game:

• 1-2 FG
• 0-1 3PT
• 1-1 FT
• 3 Points
• 2 Rebounds
• 1 Assist
• 1 Turnover

And here’s his shot chart over the last 8:30 of Game 5:

James Harden’s shot chart over the final 8:30.

No Durant.

Chance to steal Game 5 with a chance to then close out at home.

The guard with the most dominant scoring season in 30 years…

… takes one shot. pic.twitter.com/tbUjH1lGF4

— Micah Adams (@MAdamsStatGuy) May 9, 2019

Is The Golden Era Over?

Is it scary how quickly a team’s odds can change from one player? Yes. But should you be that worried about the Golden State Warriors after we saw how they played last night without Durant? No.

We’ll all be sitting on the edge of our seats waiting for the results of the MRI, but with or without Durant, the Warriors do know what it takes to win. The team has more than a handful of players who have been in these situations before and are capable of leading Golden State back to the promised land again.