TORONTO _ One by one the Warriors' players made their way onto the court Thursday morning for the final preparation for Game 1 of the NBA Finals, most in sweats and with headphones tuning out distractions and noise.
But the one player who didn't pass by was Kevin Durant, who remained in the trainers' room, working alone after an early session on the court before the rest of the Warriors even arrived at ScotiaBank Arena. Out of sight and out of action, he was not out of mind.
He had made progress in recent days from the strained calf muscle, getting back to on-court work. But the next steps remain out of reach and unlikely to advance in time for him to return for Game 2 Sunday, and maybe not at all. The Warriors did activate DeMarcus Cousins for the start of the series after six weeks on the sidelines, but Durant playing in this series _ or ever again for the Warriors _ remains a mystery.
