MIAMI — The same injury that derailed the Nets’ last season has reared its ugly head, with Kevin Durant suffering another MCL sprain.
An MRI scan on Monday revealed Durant was diagnosed with an isolated MCL sprain of the right knee. The injury occurred with a minute left in the third quarter of Sunday’s 102-101 win in Miami. Durant is reevaluated in two weeks, but he’s all too familiar with the injury, and it cost him over a month in both 2017 and last season.
Losing Durant for another month could prove disastrous for Brooklyn, who are 27-13 and have the second-best record in the league behind the Boston Celtics, who host them at the Barclays Center on Thursday.
Durant sprained his MCL on January 15 of last season and didn’t return until March 3. The Nets – who were 27-15 at the time – went just 5-16 in his absence, including losing 11 straight games. This lack of combat in his absence contributed to his off-season trade request.
The Nets say Kevin Durant will be reevaluated in two weeks after suffering a knee injury against the Heat on Jan. 8, 2023, AP
Nets star Kevin Durant suffered a right knee injury on Jan. 8, 2023 against the Heat.YES Network
Another sprain of the MCL in 2017 — along with a bone contusion — cost Durant over a month in 2017 with Golden State.
Not all MCL injuries are created equal. The Nets haven’t said what the grade of Durant’s injury is – ie Grade 1, Grade 2 etc – but a source close to the situation confirmed it is not as severe as the one he suffered last season . The injury was assumed to be a grade 2, with grade 1 being a short-term injury.