The Warriors' worst fears came true Wednesday afternoon.
Kevin Durant announced on his Instagram he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon and underwent successful surgery.
KD was injured early in the second quarter of the Warriors' eventual 106-105 win in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Raptors. Durant caught the ball on the right wing and his right leg buckled to the ground when he tried to dribble past Raptors big man Serge Ibaka.
Durant was playing in his first game since May 8, when he suffered a calf strain in the Warriors' second-round series against the Houston Rockets. Durant missed 32 days -- including 9 games -- but fought back to return to play in Game 5 with the Warriors facing a three-games-to-one deficit despite reportedly "not being close to 100 percent."
Durant looked brilliant in his 12 minutes on the court, pouring in 11 points and helping set the tone for Golden State in a must-win game. But clearly, his body wasn't quite ready.
The minute KD's injury happened, the Dubs knew they would have to fight back and win their third straight championship without the help of their star forward. But now they know that Durant likely won't play at all in the 2019-20 season, either.