The Nets’ parade-planning committee has been put in a holding pattern.
Kevin Durant is hurt again.
The same injury that derailed the Nets last season has reared its ugly head, with Kevin Durant suffering another sprained MCL.
An MRI exam on Monday revealed that Durant was diagnosed with an isolated MCL sprain of the right knee. The injury occurred with a minute left in the third quarter of Sunday’s 102-101 win at Miami. Durant will be reevaluated in two weeks, but he’s all too familiar with this injury, and it has cost him over a month in both 2017 and again last season.
It is brutal timing for Brooklyn. The Nets have won 14 of their last 15 (including 12 straight) and are just a game back of the Celtics for first place in the Eastern Conference. Durant has been sensational, head coach Jacque Vaughn has stabilized the franchise and Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons have stayed controversy- and drama-free for a while now. But who knows what happens now with Durant likely out for at least the next month.
If all goes well, Durant will likely miss somewhere around 15 games. That will include two dates with the Celtics, including one on Thursday night. But they won’t see the Bucks or Cavaliers in that presumed span and they’ll only see the 76ers once. It will be imperative that Irving stays on the straight and narrow and stays healthy. Otherwise this could fall apart. Again.
It’s always something with these guys.
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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com
