The Brooklyn Nets made a statement on Saturday night with a win over the Warriors, as they continued their streak of playing tremendous basketball against the league’s best teams, while struggling against lesser competition. After the game, the performance of their Big 3 prompted Draymond Green to proclaim the Nets as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, in large part due to the presence of Kevin Durant, who looks an awful lot like his pre-Achilles injury self.
The Nets’ road trip out west will continue this week with tilts coming on Monday and Tuesday against the Kings and Suns, but Durant will not be a part of either of those games, as the team announced he’s dealing with a mild hamstring strain.
The Nets announce that Kevin Durant will miss at least two games with a strained left hamstring: pic.twitter.com/VGerLLN443
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 15, 2021
It is likely a (wisely) cautious approach by the Nets, as Durant recently was out a week in the contact tracing protocols before making his return against the Warriors where he played 33 minutes. With the Kings and Suns happening on a road back-to-back, there’s no reason to risk anything in mid-February for a team with title aspirations by having him play either game. The bigger question from a national standpoint will be whether he plays on either Thursday or Sunday of this coming week when the Nets face the two L.A. squads, with the Lakers on Thursday and Clippers on Sunday in showcase spots on national TV.
