Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets Star, Out a Month with Another MCL Sprain
The Brooklyn Nets are the hottest team in the NBA correct now, but they might cool down cancelled over the next 4 weeks spell All-Star frontward Kevin Durant recovers from a correct knee joint injury.
The knee joint accidental injury occurred on Lord's Day night when teammate Ben Simmons fouled Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat, who tumbled into Durant inwards the 3rd quarter. William James Durant limped away the court of justice and ne'er returned to the game. On the previous play, Durant also banged his genu during an offensive ownership when he ran into Kyle Lowry.
Durant underwent an MRI on Monday, which confirmed a sprained MCL on his compensate knee.
“He’s inward right spirits, as we all are,” said teammate Kyrie Irving. “The strength of our team is us pick for each one other upward and just now being ready for whatever is thrown at us.”
According to an initial report, William James Durant was expected to only when misfire ii weeks. However, ESPN’s Baron Adrian Wojnarowski reported that William James Durant could lack quaternity weeks with his 2nd MCL accidental injury inward consecutive seasons.
Head train Jacques Vaugh testament lean on his bench to fill up inward for Durant. Expect forwards Yuta Watanabe (7.3 ppg) and TJ Earl Warren (9.9 ppg) to capture to a greater extent playing times. John Irving will shoulder joint more of the scoring load, but it’s also a chance for Simmons to stone's throw upwardly with additional offense.
Nets 18-2 Over Last 20 Games
The Nets struggled in the foremost billet of the season, and were 9-11 in late November. Since that low peak of the season, they went 18-2 and won 12 sequential games.
The Nets are currently the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff standings with a 27-13 record. They also moved into indorse shoes inward the Atlantic Ocean Division and shack the Beantown Celtics by 1 game. With 27 victories, the Celtics (28-12) are the only other team up with to a greater extent wins than the Nets.
The Celtics are a immense favourite to win the Atlantic Division at -450 odds, according to a recent update by DraftKings. The Nets are +320 betting odds to win the sectionalisation despite a one-game margin.
During their recent upswing, the Nets improved to +550 betting odds to win the 2022-23 NBA Championship. Only the Celtics have amend betting odds championship odds at +360.
The Nets also saw an uptick in Eastern Conference odds, and they’re now +280 to unafraid a group discussion treetop and throw out to the 2023 NBA Finals.
Another Knee Injury for Durant
Durant missed 21 games utmost flavour with an MCL injury. He sprained his left wing knee joint last January, which kept him come out for sextuplet weeks. The Nets saw their season move turned the rails without their leading scorer and the Nets went 5-16 without William James Durant utmost winter.
Prior to his recent articulatio genus injury, Will Durant was surprisingly sound this flavour and appeared inwards 39 games and missed only when one. That was non the typesetter's case during his skimp with the Nets.
Durant tore his Achilles tendon inward the 2019 NBA Finals when he played for the Golden State Warriors. He joined the Nets the next time of year inward a sign-and-trade, but missed an total year in 2019-20 piece he recovered from a torn Achilles.
During his first off season with the Nets, William James Durant appeared in simply 35 games inwards 2020-21 and missed 37 games during a pandemic-shortened season. He averaged 26.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game, spell shooting 45% from 3-point range.
During the 2021-22 season, William James Durant missed 27 games, including 21 with a knee joint injury. He averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game.
In 39 games this season, Durant averages 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game. He’s shooting a career-best 55.9% from the flooring and an impressive 93.4% from the free-throw rail line this season. His 3-point shot is land from the shoemaker's last few seasons, and he dipped infra his calling norm with 37.6% this season.
On Deck: Celtics, Thunder, and a 5-Game Road Trip
If the Nets sit down Will Durant for IV weeks, he testament miss the next 12 games. If they stay fresh him come out until the All-Star Break, he could lack 18 games.
Only septenary opponents between at present and the All-Star Game have a winning record, so the Nets could use up a conservativist approach shot and supply William James Durant with 7 weeks of rest. Of course, if it were upwardly to Durant, he’d child's play as before long as possible and only miss a couple of weeks of action.
The Nets run only ii games o'er the next ogdoad days. They boniface the Celtics on Thursday in a battle betwixt the whirligig ii teams inward the NBA. On Sunday, the OK City (18-22) Thunder inspect the Big Apple.
After those two nursing home games this week, the Nets go forth rest home for a five-game road trip. They run quaternary horse opera Conference opponents including the San Antonio Spurs (13-27), Phoenix Suns (20-21), Utah Jazz (20-23), and Golden State Warriors (20-20). They death their route activate against the City of Brotherly Love 76ers (24-15).
The Nets fill up out the month of Jan with a three-game homestand against the Detroit Pistons (11-32), New House of York Knicks (22-18), and Los Angeles Lakers (19-21).