Kevin Durant’s return can’t come soon enough for a Brooklyn Nets team that was beaten by 11 points by the 11th-place Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
It was a sizable opportunity missed with the Nets trailing the Philadelphia 76ers for the top spot in the Eastern Conference by a half-game as they lost to the Phoenix Suns.
Durant has been out for the last two games with a thigh contusion that has held him out on a day-to-day basis. His absence was only further exacerbated by the news coming down earlier this week that James Harden will be out indefinitely after suffering a setback in his recovery from a strained hamstring.
It’s left Irving by himself yet again, as the trio of superstars have only played in seven games together since Harden was acquired from the Houston Rockets in January.
Luckily for the Nets, Durant is due back sooner rather than later.
“He is day-to-day, so I think Friday or Sunday is very possible,” Nets head coach Steve Nash said. “I’m not sure when it would be, or if it would be either of those games. He’s day-to-day. If he keeps progressing at this rate, I think Friday or Sunday is very possible.”
To bring back an All-Star averaging 27.3 points per game will only help the Nets’ chances of snagging that No. 1 spot in the East, especially when a tough weekend lies ahead to start the homestretch of the 2020-21 regular season.
The sputtering Boston Celtics will try to rectify a nightmare season that has them sitting in sixth place by putting together a strong performance against Brooklyn on Friday night before the dangerous Suns, currently No. 2 in the West, visit Brooklyn for what could be an underrated NBA Finals preview.
