The Nets received bad news on Tuesday about James Harden’s hamstring rehab, but it appears to be much better, at least to recover from Kevin Durant’s thigh injury.
A source confirmed that Durant’s injury was considered minor in that he did not need to return to Brooklyn. He is still with the Nets on their three-game road trip, which continued with a 134–129 win Tuesday in New Orleans, and a second source familiar with the situation classified it as a minor.
“I think Kevin is more positive [than Harden’s]. I think he has a scan and it is a day to day thing. We will see if it is in the next few days, ”said Nets coach Steve Nash. “But that scan was not worrying or negative in that regard. So we hope he can come back soon.
Durant has 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists this season. He is shooting 54.3 percent overall, 46.2 percent deep and 87 percent from the strip in an uber-efficient campaign.
The 32-year-old lasted just four minutes in Sunday’s defeat at Miami, a blow that the Nets’ fans were worried about, considering Durant’s injury history. Durant missed 18 months with a broken Achilles tendon. He played 23 straight games this season with a hamstring injury, not returning until 7 April.
The Nets played without Tyler Johnson (knee), Chris Chozza (arm) and Spencer Dinwiddie (ACL) on Tuesday, while youngsters Nick Claxton and Reggie Perry sat out for health and safety safety protocols.
This left the Nets with only nine players vs. the Pelicans, so they may have to rethink their policy against using Irving and Blake Griffin at back-to-back. The Nets play on Wednesday against the Rappers in Tampa, Fla.
“There is a chance that Blake can play back-to-back. We will see how it goes and they decide [Wednesday], Nash said. “but it’s hard. This is a difficult stretch for us. Our performance in some ways. It is a very difficult stretch for us to get here and we are still positive, sticking away, trying to get better as well as not allowing people to get overstretched, and suffer unnecessary injuries. . “
Health and safety protocols have been NBA shorthand for COVID-19 issues – testing occasionally positive, but more frequently contact-tracing sangrains. Nash did not provide any information about Claxton and Perry’s details of the situation.
“I just know they’re in protocol,” Nash said. “It is not certain how long it is going to last or what it is, to test it, or test out of it, or what it is right now.” I think it’s still too early to understand what we’re doing for tonight. They are both in protocol and unavailable. “
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