KD returns to starting lineup for Game 5

Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant was in the starting lineup against the Toronto Raptors in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

"We'll start him and play him in short bursts ... as the game goes, we'll try to figure it out from there," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said prior to the game, via CBS Sports.

The 30-year-old went through a full shootaround Monday and "looked good," Kerr told reporters. Durant had been officially listed as a game-time decision.

Durant hadn't played since Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets on May 8. Prior to suffering a right calf strain, the two-time Finals MVP averaged 34.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and one block through 11 postseason appearances.

Coming into the 2019 Finals, the Warriors had posted a 31-1 record in their previous 32 games when Durant wasn't in the lineup but Stephen Curry still played. With injuries piling up, though, Golden State now finds itself facing a 3-1 series deficit with the Raptors looking to clinch their first-ever championship at home Monday night.

Durant appeared in both regular-season games versus the Raptors this season. The Warriors lost by three points in Toronto on Nov. 29 - despite Durant's 51-point performance - and were blown out by 20 points on their home court two weeks later on Dec. 12.