After their Game 5 win over San Antonio sent them into the second round of the NBA playoffs, the Warriors took Wednesday off. Forgive Kevin Durant if he spent part of the day searching for his lost shot.
Not all of his shots, just the 3-pointers.
For as long as Stephen Curry is on the sideline, Durant's triples multiply in significance. So accuracy matters.
Durant shot 48.0 percent in the five-game series against San Antonio, a decent number that was greatly compromised by his 25-percent rate (10 -of-40) beyond the arc.
He shot 51.6 percent in the regular season, including 41.9 percent from deep.
"I'm fading a little bit on some, I rushed a few, I didn't leave my follow-through up on a couple, and they were doing a good job of getting a hand up," Durant said in analyzing his shooting against the Spurs. "So you know, it was a series of events, I guess, the reason why I was missing some 3s."
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His assessment was on point. Durant's mechanics, usually metronomic, were inconsistent. If he wasn't properly setting his feet, he was bobbing his head. If he wasn't leaning left, he was indeed fading away from the basket.
"I'd be more concerned if my mid-range was off," he said. "But I feel good with my mid-range, and I know my 3 will come out. It's a matter of time and I've just got to keep working."
That Durant shot 94.6 percent (35-of-37) from the free throw line, with nearly every make swishing with barely a ripple of net, indicates there is no need for serious tinkering.
It's more like some slight tuning up.
"Luckily I kind of know my form and know what gets me back, right back to center," he said. "And that's the beautiful part about finding your game out."
If he didn't detect his 3-ball on Wednesday, Durant will take a deeper look when the team gathers for practice on Thursday. He still has time, as Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against New Orleans is set for Saturday.
Durant's history suggests he'll have it back by then.
