Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant went down with a knee injury during a victory over the Miami Heat.
Durant collided with Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler, then hit the floor and was slow to get up following the collision. He grabbed his knee and while he tried to return to the game for the following possession, the two-time NBA Finals MVP was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the game.
It was a scary moment for basketball fans, especially considering Durant is having another MVP-caliber season and the Nets are playing the best they’ve played since he arrived on the team in 2019.
“The Nets are gonna be hopeful that he’s gonna be able to make it back sooner rather than later…”@ShamsCharania on Kevin Durant’s knee injury#RunItBack | https://t.co/Q9hUtUoPZJ pic.twitter.com/drUFCq8v53
— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) January 9, 2023
Durant had an MRI and fortunately, the team announced that he only suffered a sprained MCL. The forward was lucky to avoid any meniscus damage, and he will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
According to Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com, the average lost time for a G1 MCL sprain is 18 days — or approximately 6.2 games.
The Nets play eight games over the course of the next 18 days, including against the Celtics at home at Barclays Center. They also have winnable games against the Thunder, Spurs, and injury-plagued Suns before facing off against the 76ers in Philadelphia.
Based on his expected recovery time, Durant could likely return to the floor for a home game against the lowly Detroit Pistons on Jan. 26.
The Nets, led by Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons, will look to hold their own without their leading scorer until then. Brooklyn currently has the second-best record in the NBA and trails the Celtics by just one game for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
