Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins Ruled Out For Game 1 of NBA Finals

Even though it’s a week away, the Warriors have already announced they’ll be missing two of their All-Stars for the first game of the NBA Finals. The team sent out an update on Thursday that Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins would not be ready to go for Game 1 next Thursday.

Durant suffered a right calf strain during the Western Conference Semifinals against the Rockets, while Cousins tore his quad in the second game of the first round of the playoffs against the Clippers. Many presumed Cousins would not return this playoffs, while Durant missed the last game of the semifinals and all of the Western Conference Finals.

The Warriors swept the Blazers without the pair, but they obviously would rather have them back. Their depth has been suspect all season, and they’ll need all hands on deck for whoever comes out of the East, be it the Bucks or Raptors. Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson have stepped up their games in a huge way after Durant went down, but the minutes will begin to wear on them at some point.