Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant hit his first two 3-pointers on Sunday afternoon. And given that his minutes were expected to rise, a 40-point output seemed possible. But then Durant drove to the basket, and then he got hurt again.
This time, it was a left thigh contusion that sent the All-Star forward to the locker room just four minutes in, and Durant didn’t return. Just when the Nets thought their Big Three would finally be whole for the first time in a long time, it still isn’t. Brooklyn’s hope is that this is just a day-to-day situation, but that will depend on how Durant feels when he wakes up on Monday. Additional tests could be a possibility. “He’s sore, but we don’t know how severe it’ll be,” Steve Nash told reporters.
As if Nets’ fans needed another reminder that Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving haven’t played together since Feb. 13. At this point, they probably have that date burned into their memories. The hope is that the star trio will all be in the lineup come Game 1 of the playoffs. “One-hundred percent. That’s the goal,” Sean Marks said recently on SiriusXM. But there are no guarantees. Not this season. Not with these players.
It seems like everyday there’s a new injury for an NBA team to deal with — or at least a scare (See: Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James and Anthony Davis). So the 2020-21 champions may be the literal last team standing.
Harden (hamstring) could return during the team’s three-game roadtrip. The Nets play in New Orleans on Tuesday, and Orlando on Wednesday. Durant had just returned to the lineup following a 23-game absence due to a left hamstring strain. Brooklyn could’ve used him down the stretch on Sunday afternoon, as the Miami Heat closed on an 8-0 run — capped by Bam Adebayo’s buzzer-beater over Jeff Green — to claim a 109-107 victory at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Irving (6-for-19) missed his final three shots — later admitting his shot selection could’ve been better — as Miami stormed back behind Adebayo. The Heat were missing Jimmy Butler themselves, but it didn’t matter. Earlier this season, Adebayo scored 41 points against the Nets in Brooklyn. On Sunday afternoon, Brooklyn shot 3-for-17 with Adebayo as the primary defender, according to ESPN Stats & Information — including 0-for-8 by Irving. DeAndre Jordan was a DNP-coach’s decision.
On the bright side, the Nets (38-19) did get a season-high 30 points out of Landry Shamet, who is looking confident as ever. But again — they could’ve used Kevin Durant in crunchtime. Harden, too.
Brooklyn is capable of overcoming star injuries during the regular season, but its title hopes rest on health. And the Nets continue to be plagued by injuries. They’ve had to use 31 different starting lineups this season alone. Depending on how Durant feels when he wakes up, the MRI machine may be needed again.
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April 19, 2021 at 05:00PM
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Kevin Durant Hurt Again, As Injuries Continue To Plague Brooklyn Nets - Forbes
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