Kevin Durant on track in recovery, regular season return still possible

Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant, who has been sidelined since Feb. 28 after suffering a Grade 2 MCL sprain and tibial bone bruise in his left knee, has made "very good progress" in his recovery and a return to game action before the end of the regular season "remains a possibility," the team announced Wednesday.

Per the Warriors, Durant is being incorporated into non-contact basketball drills, including shooting, running and jumping, and the plan is to "intensify his level of movement over the next several days." He will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days.

The Warriors have three home games at the end of the regular season, which could potentially be target dates for Durant's return.

While Durant's status update doesn't exactly come as a surprise, it's yet another step in the right direction for a Warriors team that lost five of seven after he went down and nearly let up the West's No. 1 seed to San Antonio. Now, they're riding an eight-game winning streak and holding a 2 ½ game first-place lead.

Before Tuesday night's win over the Houston Rockets, Durant, who is still experiencing some tightness in his knee but isn't having problems with pain, spent time on the court throwing down dunks and knocking down midrange jumpers.

“Oh man, I think he’s coming along amazing,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said of Durant on Tuesday. “I saw him working out earlier, and I got excited. He looks like he’s coming along. Obviously his spirits are high and he’s starting to move a lot better, starting to jump a lot better."

Durant, who joined the Warriors after leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder over the summer, is averaging 25.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals this season and was one of the league's top MVP candidates before going down.

The Warriors have eight games left until the playoffs, starting with Wednesday night's marquee matchup in San Antonio, followed by Friday night's showdown with Houston and a Sunday night game against the Washington Wizards.

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