Durant, Cousins likely to miss start of Finals

OAKLAND, CA - MAY 8: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors looks on against the Houston Rockets during Game Five of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on May 8, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE
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The Golden State Warriors will likely be without Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins when the NBA Finals begin on May 30, the team announced Thursday, as relayed by Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

Durant is continuing in his rehab from a calf strain and is "unlikely" to be ready for the start of The Finals. The Warriors anticipate Cousins seeing action at some point once he recovers from a left quadriceps tear, but no date has been set. The Warriors added that they will update the status of both players on Wednesday.

Durant, an All-NBA second-team selection, has been out since injuring his right calf in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals versus the Houston Rockets. The 30-year-old averaged 26 points per game in the regular season and posted a whopping 34.2 points per game on 51.3 percent shooting in 11 contests this postseason.

Cousins has been out since the opening round of the playoffs when he tore his quadriceps versus the Los Angeles Clippers. The four-time All-Star averaged 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in the regular season.

The Warriors will face the winner of the Milwaukee Bucks-Toronto Raptors series in the NBA Finals, where they'll be looking to capture the league title for the fourth time in five years.

Both Durant and Cousins are scheduled to become free agents at the end of the season.

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