Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant suffered a left thigh contusion in the first quarter Sunday against the Miami Heat and was ruled out for the rest of the game.
Durant seemed to be messing with Miami’s Trevor Ariza as he headed for the basket for a stretch in the first trimester. He left the game and was examined by a coach before returning to the Nets locker room.
Durant came out of the game with eight points in just over four minutes. He still had to be absent from the field.
“We’re a little used to it now,” Nets coach Steve Nash told ESPN’s Israel Gutierrez. “We had a lot of throws and we, different teams. Obviously, we miss Kevin when he’s not playing, but we managed to fight and adapt this year.”
Durant, who has had several injury crises this season, returned to the Nets on April 8 against, after missing nearly two months with a straight hamster strain.
The Nets continue to be without James Harden, who missed a week and a half with a straight hamster streak. Harden worked in Miami on Saturday and is progressing toward a comeback, Nash said.
The Nets’ “big three” from Durant, Harden and Kyrie Irving have played just seven games together this season.