Kevin Durant was ruled out for Tuesday’s game in New Orleans, with a contusion to his left thigh suffered in the amazing loss in Miami. However, there are at least somewhat favorable signs that the injury may not be as severe or long-term.
The Nets did not train Monday, but after Durant was reassessed in the morning, the team apparently did not consider his injury serious enough to justify any image or to be sent back to New York. Sources told The Post that he is still with the team during the trip, which could be seen as encouraging.
The injuries have become a Nets story. James Harden (right hamstring), Tyler Johnson (knee pain), Chris Chiozza (fractured right hand) and Spencer Dinwiddie (ACL) are all injured. The young adults, Nic Claxton and Reggie Perry, will also play the Pelicans game due to health and safety protocols.
Harden is expected to work on Monday, and Steve Nash said the guard needs a few more high-intensity practices before he can return. The Nets have a back-to-back in New Orleans and Tampa’s Amalie Arena versus the Raptors. As for Claxton and Perry, the “health and safety protocols” were an abbreviation for COVID-19 problems, sometimes positive tests, but more often tracking contacts.
Durant missed 18 months with an Achilles rupture suffered in June 2019 playing in the NBA Finals for Golden State. He also contracted COVID-19, identified contact quarantines in both January and February, and eventually missed 23 consecutive games with a left hamstring strain.
After returning on April 7, Durant played just five games – resting on April 14 in Philadelphia on the back of a back-to-back – before suffering his last injury. He was forced out of the Miami game after just 4:03, when he was fouled by Trevor Ariza and accidentally took a knee to the thigh from the veteran Heat.
“I think we are all relieved that it was just a contusion. I think it’s going to be an everyday thing, “Jeff Green had said about Durant. “I know he was upset that it happened frequently in the last two weeks and he wants to be there playing. I’m sure he’ll do whatever it takes to get back on the floor.
“You hate to see a guy come down, but you have to focus on what we have to do to put us in a good position towards the end of the season. So, James, we hope he’ll be back soon, and hopefully KD has a quick recovery from the contusion and then everyone is healthy. It’s only a matter of time. And when they come back, we just have to prepare for what is to come, whether it’s ten games at the end of the season or whether we’ll make it to the playoffs. ”