WASHINGTON _ Fifty-seven seconds into what would normally amount to a meaningless late February NBA game, Wizards big man Marcin Gortat decided to aggressively pursue an offensive rebound. That random decision may have altered the direction of the Warriors season and changed the tenor of the league's title chase.
Pursuing a miss, Gortat wildly flung away a boxing-out Zaza Pachulia. The surprise shove sent Pachulia tumbling backward, all 275 pounds of him crashing into Kevin Durant's left knee, bending the joint in an unnatural direction. Durant hopped away in pain. He limped to the locker room. He didn't return. The team temporarily deemed it a hyperextended left knee. An MRI was scheduled for later on Tuesday night. The entire league waits anxiously on the results of the scan.
Without Durant, the D.C. crowd was still treated to a thrilling game. The Warriors, trailing by 19 at one point, stormed back to set up a back-and-forth fourth quarter, eventually leading to a 112-108 Wizards win.
But days, weeks and potentially months from now, this game will be remembered for the Gortat shove, the Pachulia fall and the Durant injury, not the Warrior loss _ similar to that game in Houston last April, remembered for Steph Curry's awkward fall and playoff-altering knee injury, not the eventual Golden State victory.
The Warriors have 22 games left, spanning the next six weeks, before the playoffs begin on April 15. If Durant's return timetable falls somewhere before that _ either right before or way before _ the Warriors will breathe a sigh of relief.
At 50-10, they have separated themselves from the pack. Only the Spurs linger as potential threats to snare that top seed and homecourt advantage in the playoffs. Even without Durant, they have a deep roster and three All-Stars. They'll still win plenty of games.
Tuesday night was a great example. After Durant left, the Warriors looked a bit shellshocked, allowing a 40-point first quarter to an energized, unaffected Wizards team. But after the realization of what happened settled in, the Warriors _ still with a bulk of that core that won 73 games last season on the court _ responded.
The Wizards led by as many as 19. But Draymond Green, who finished the night with 14 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds, led the rapid comeback with a series of key passes and defensive stops. Steph Curry (25 points), after missing his first 14 3s on this road trip, made two at the start of the third quarter. He had 15 points in the frame. Golden State took its first lead late in the third quarter, setting up a thrilling fourth.
In it, the Warriors got contributions from plenty of spots. Shaun Livingston had a couple big buckets and an impressive block at the rim. David West was sturdy. Pachulia had 12 points and eight rebounds. Green _ who always seems to rise in big moments _ nailed two clutch 3s in the final two minutes. The Wizards, a fantastic home team this season, eventually won. But the Warriors played well without one of their mega stars.
Enough talent remains for them to compete with anyone on any night. But until Durant returns and the cupboard is stocked full, they'll be stripped of their status as prohibitive, clear title favorites. Now everyone's attention turns to the MRI results.
Bradley Beal led the Wizards in scoring with 25 points, and John Wall added 12 points, 19 assists and six rebounds.
