Though Wizards center Marcin Gortat took a beating on social media from Warriors fans upset about his role in the knee injury sustained by Kevin Durant on Tuesday, general manager Bob Myers saw it a different way.
Myers was not at Verizon Center, but he got a look at video of the play some considered “dirty” on the part of Gortat.
“I didn’t think anything untoward,” Myers said Wednesday morning via conference call. “My thought -- and I think I speak for the organization -- is I don’t think anything untoward occurred. These things happen in sports.”
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Durant was hurt on an action initiated by Gortat in the first minute of the game. Going for a rebound, he grabbed Warriors center Zaza Pachulia from behind and flung him to the floor. Pachulia, 6-foot-11, 270 pounds, fell backward into Durant’s knee.
Gortat was whistled for a foul on Pachulia.
There obviously was no intent to injure Durant, but that was the result the Warriors will have to live with for the next month or more.
Durant was diagnosed with a Grade 2 sprain of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) as well as the tibial bone bruise to his left knee. He will be reevaluated in four weeks.
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