NBA Playoffs 2019: Bucks favored to win title if Kevin Durant misses rest of postseason, according to SportsLine projections

NBA Playoffs 2019: Bucks favored to win title if Kevin Durant misses rest of postseason, according to SportsLine projections

We could have a new favorite to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy after Kevin Durant's recent injury.

After Durant suffered a right calf strain against the Houston Rockets in Game 5 on Wednesday night, the Golden State Warriors took a 3-2 series lead in their second-round series. While it would appear the Warriors at least have the inside track to advance to the Western Conference finals, Durant's timetable is a big question mark moving forward. He's already been ruled out for Games 6 and 7 (if necessary) of the Houston series, but if he misses the entire postseason it could have dire consequences for the defending champs.

SportsLine projects that if Durant misses the rest of the playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks become heavy favorites to win the championship -- not the Warriors.

In fact, according to the SportsLine projections, the Bucks have a 38.2 percent chance of winning the title if Durant's injury prevents him from playing again this postseason. The Warriors would be second with an 18.7 percent chance of winning it all, while the Toronto Raptors are right behind at 17.4 percent.

The Durant injury rocked the NBA world when he left Game 5 with a calf injury following a routine jump shot. Furthermore, an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Alan Beyer, told CBS Sports that Durant's injury could linger as far as into Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, should Golden State advance that far.

"He'll be getting daily physical therapy starting immediately, anti-inflammatories, ice, and then it's just a matter of how it responds," Dr. Beyer told CBS Sports. "His playing status will be all about how much the swelling reduces, and how well he's able to forcibly contract the muscle, which is necessary to jump. He could feasibly get back by Game 4 against Portland or Denver if he pushed it, but now you're risking making the injury a whole lot worse."

The doctor also said that by returning that early, Durant could worsen his injury and never return to the court at 100 percent -- again.

"Understand, a strain and tear are the same thing," Dr. Beyer continued. "So Durant has a tear in that calf. The grading just indicates how many fibers have been affected. So a mild strain, or a Grade 1 or 2 tear, whatever you want to call it, that is one thing. But if he were to come back on a partially-healed calf, and then end up tearing it all the way by landing or taking off wrong, now you're talking about potentially never coming back 100 percent. He would regret that decision the rest of his career."

It is unclear when exactly Durant will return. All we know is that he is out for the remainder of this current series against the Rockets. However, that is a big deal because the Warriors still have to beat the Rockets one more time in order to advance.

While it is unclear on how long Durant will be out, one thing is for certain -- his injury has completely changed the postseason landscape.

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