The immediate reaction was a fear of the worst. Twitter doctors everywhere concluded Kevin Durant tore his right Achilles tendon when left Game 5 during the third quarter Wednesday night.
A collective deep breath was then felt from Oracle Arena to NBA Twitter from one single tweet.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Durant suffered a right calf strain and did not return to the Warriors' 104-99 win over the Rockets, which gave the Dubs a three-games-to-two series lead with Game 6 coming Friday. Spurs forward Rudy Gay, however, had a hunch right away that the injury was to the calf and not Durant's Achilles.
Gay, then a member of the Sacramento Kings, tore his left Achilles tendon in January of 2017. He played 57 games the next season for the Spurs, averaging 11.5 points per game, which was the lowest since his rookie year.
Eddie Johnson, who played 17 seasons in the NBA, offered insight into what a calf strain could mean for Durant and the Warriors in the playoffs.
Durant strained his calf last season, too. When the injury occurred, he missed three regular-season games over seven days. Coach Steve Kerr reportedly has already ruled his star forward out for Friday's Game 6.
[RELATED: It's all up to Steph, Klay and Draymond now with KD injured]
Golden State Warriors
Find the latest Golden State Warriors news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
Durant will undergo an MRI for further results on Thursday.
