Kevin Durant (MCL sprain) to be reevaluated in 2 weeks
Nets star Kevin Durant will miss at least two weeks after an MRI revealed an isolated MCL sprain in his right knee following an incident in the third quarter of Brooklyn’s 102-101 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday.
The injury occurred in the third quarter when Ben Simmons blocked Heat star Jimmy Butler at the rim. Butler landed and fell directly into Durant’s knee — the second time the Nets star hurt the knee on the night. He attempted to play two more possessions before asking out of the game and walking directly to the locker room.
Durant will be reevaluated at the end of the two-week period to determine his next steps. Last season, Durant suffered a more severe MCL sprain on his left knee that cost him a month and a half of action.
The hope is that Durant’s absence this time around is shorter, though only time will tell if the star forward’s knee will heal in time to return as quickly as the organization projects. This year’s MCL sprain is on the same leg Durant suffered a ruptured Achilles injury that cost him the entire 2020-21 NBA season. Last year’s sprain was not.
Durant is averaging 30 points per game on the most efficient true shooting percentage in NBA history. He placed first among all players in the first returns of Eastern Conference All-Star fan votes. He also passed Dominique Wilkins for 14th place on the NBA’s all-time leading scorers list prior to leaving the Heat game due to injury.
