NBA: Warriors’ Kevin Durant set for return to play on Saturday

Kevin Durant had his moments of feeling down, unable to play the sport he loves while watching his teammates initially struggle then, later, shine without him.

Durant returned to practice Friday and experienced no issues with his left knee, so he is set to play Saturday against New Orleans in his return from injury after more than a month on the sidelines.

“I had to be patient,” he said. “It definitely tests your patience. It’s about perseverance at the end of the day. Freak injury, freak accident. I could have hung my head over it but I stayed positive and knew at some point I’d get better. The help of the training staff, they did an unbelievable job keeping me sane for these past five weeks. A few days I went over the deep end but that’s just a part of it. But they did a great job of every single day just chipping away.”

Durant has been sidelined since he sprained the MCL in his knee and suffered a tibia bone bruise Feb. 28 at Washington but Golden State hoped all along to have KD back before the regular season ended — and now the Warriors are riding a 13-game winning streak and have secured the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed.

Coach Steve Kerr said Durant, who scrimmaged in a 5-on-5 situation, has no minute restrictions because his knee ligament is fully healed. He went right at Steve Nash in some individual work after practice ended.

Kerr reiterated he will start Durant and take him out at signs he is tiring, and he spoke to Matt Barnes and Patrick McCaw about their roles changing.

“I don’t have a number on the minutes played, it’s more on how it feels for him and fatigue,” said Kerr, who mentioned three “meaningless” games being “perfect for him to get three games before the playoffs start, to get his conditioning, his timing, his rhythm.”

Yet as Durant returns, two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry is listed as doubtful to face the Pelicans because of a bruised knee. Kerr said he fell on it several times Wednesday at Phoenix.

Durant remained optimistic his knee would respond and return to full strength. He wouldn’t say whether he plans to wear a brace or protective sleeve.

“I knew it would get there at some point. I didn’t look at it as a career-threatening injury. I knew that was something I could overcome,” he said. “So I was positive the whole time and I’m glad it’s healed and getting better. Obviously, when you get banged up in that area, it’s going to take you some time for you mentally to feel like everything’s all right, so today was one of those days where I went out there and played, practiced with the guys and I felt normal.”

Etc.

Fighting for a playoff spot, the Atlanta Hawks rested center Dwight Howard and were without three other key players against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night: forward Paul Millsap (knee) and guards Dennis Schroder (foot) and Kent Bazemore (bone bruise). Atlanta is jostling with five other teams for four Eastern Conference playoff spots. … New Orleans forward DeMarcus Cousins sat Friday night’s game against Denver because of tendinitis in his right Achilles. The hard-to-cover Cousins is coming off a monster game against the Nuggets on Tuesday night, when he had 30 points and 14 rebounds in a 134-131 home loss. ..

Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha says he’ll donate a “substantial portion” of his settlement with New York City after a police fracas outside a trendy Manhattan nightclub left him with a broken leg in 2015. The New York Daily News reported that Sefolosha will receive $4 million for the injury that kept him out of the Hawks run to the Eastern Conference final. He was acquitted of criminal charges and sued the city and five police officers in federal court. Sefolosa said Friday that he’ll make a donation to Gideon’s Promise, an Atlanta-based organization that helps support and train public defenders across the country. …

Charlotte will be eligible to host the 2019 NBA All-Star Game after a compromise deal to replace a North Carolina law that limited anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people, the league’s commissioner. “It’s not a done deal yet,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “The most recent change in the law does not mean the fundamental issues are resolved. But after considering all points of view, we determined that Charlotte will be eligible to host.”