Getty Images
Kevin Durant’s game was cut short on Saturday night. The All-Star forward was ruled out for the remainder of Brooklyn’s matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans after suffering a knee injury midway through the second quarter. Durant underwent an MRI on Sunday and was diagnosed with a sprained MCL. The Nets revealed in a statement that Durant is “expected to return to full strength after a period of rehabilitation.” According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, there is optimism within the organization that Durant will be able to take the floor again after a four-to-six-week rehab period.
While trying to guard Pelicans guard Herb Jones, Nets forward Bruce Brown fell backwards into Durant’s left knee, and Durant immediately reached for the knee in obvious discomfort. He ultimately limped off of the floor and back to the locker room to get checked out, and he was ruled out of the game by Brooklyn shortly thereafter. Before exiting the contest, Durant had 12 points, three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in 12 minutes of action in the Nets’ 120-105 win.
You can see the play where the injury occurred below:
Obviously, the hope here for the Nets is that the injury isn’t a serious one, and that Durant is able to return to the court in short order, as he is in the midst of another MVP-caliber campaign. Brooklyn will likely be as cautious as possible with its MVP candidate considering his injury history and their place near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Having him healthy when the postseason rolls around is all that matters for the Nets.
