Kevon Looney: ‘I should be able to play in Game 6’
Kevon Looney aggravated a fracture in his chest and ribcage in the Warriors' Game 5 win over Toronto.
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TORONTO — No matter how often he falls and feels the pain, Kevon Looney has stood up and absorbed it.
Looney remained on the ground in pain after Toronto guard Kyle Lowry collided with him over a fight for a rebound in the third quarter of the Warriors’ eventual Game 5 win over the Raptors in the NBA Finals on Monday. The Warriors sat Looney with 4:50 left in the third quarter and the entire fourth after determining he aggravated a fracture near his chest and ribcage. Just how it played out with his initial injury, though, Looney vowed he would return when the Warriors play Game 6 on Thursday in what will be the team’s final game at Oracle Arena.
“They’re comfortable with me going out there as long as I can tolerate the pain,” Looney said. “I feel like I should be able to play in Game 6.”
Looney has plenty of reasons. He wants to help the Warriors salvage a 3-2 series deficit against Toronto. Despite Kevin Durant suffering what appears to be a torn right Achilles, Looney trusts the Warriors’ training staff for their cautious approach and collaborative nature. And Looney can seemingly play through anything.
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He had originally suffered his injury with Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard bulldozed Looney in Game 2. The Warriors then ruled him out indefinitely, only to seek second opinions that determined Looney would not be susceptible to any structural damage. And Looney has spent almost every waking hour of off days healing his chest and shoulders.
“I’ll continue to rehab and get a lot of treatment and get a lot of ice. Usually that works pretty well for me with this injury,” said Looney, who also has worn a compression sleeve during games. “I really don’t have too much control on how I feel. It heals on its own. There’s nothing I can do to make it better. So hopefully in the next couple of days, it responds well to treatment and the medical staff feels comfortable enough to let me play.”
They already appear to be comfortable. Looney received x-rays following Game 5, and he said “everything came back clean.” So unlike the feeling surrounding Durant’s injury, Looney remains confident he can help the Warriors win their fourth NBA championship in five years.
“They said nothing got worse, but it’s about me dealing with the pain,” Looney said. “I feel confident I should be able to play through it.”
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