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Kevin Durant was expected to ‘be out for a MONTH’ after spraining his knee, but will be re-evaluated in two weeks after coming off the Brooklyn Nets’ win over the Miami Heat following Jimmy Butler’s injury falling on his leg.
- Kevin Durant walked out of Sunday’s win against the Heat after Jimmy Butler fell to his knee
- And the Nets said Monday that he will miss at least two weeks of action for Brooklyn.
- Durant suffered a similar looking injury in January 2022 and missed six weeks.
- And it could cost you up to a month this time according to a new report.
- Click here for the latest international sports news from DailyMail.com
Nets star Kevin Durant has been diagnosed with an isolated MCL sprain of his right knee and will be reevaluated in two weeks, the team said Monday, though a later update cast doubt on that schedule.
Durant left behind the 102-101 win against Miami in the third quarter of the game after the Heat’s Jimmy Butler fell to his knee after Brooklyn’s Ben Simmons contested his shot.
The 34-year-old fell to the ground clutching the inside of his knee and briefly stayed in the game before deciding something was wrong.
And while ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that there was “optimism” that the injury was less severe than the MCL sprain (opposite knee) that cost him six weeks last season, he said later that day that Durant was ‘expected’ to lose a month.
Kevin Durant was injured after Jimmy Butler fell to his knee after driving to the basket
Durant’s latest injury will undoubtedly feel like deja vu to fans and his teammates.
It was just a week after Sunday 2022 when Durant suffered an MCL sprain in extremely similar fashion when teammate Bruce Brown collided with him on Jan. 15.
And that time, Durant missed roughly six weeks of injury rehab when the team’s season fell apart.
Durant has played at the MVP level for the Nets this season, averaging 29.7 points per game.
Going 27-15 when the forward went down, the Nets went 5-17 without him, including an 11-game losing streak, as Brooklyn fell down the ranks and James Harden requested a trade.
With greater depth than last season, the Nets, second in the East with a 27-13 record, will feel they are better equipped to handle Durant’s absence.
Nonetheless, the scare has surely put a stop to a blistering 18-2 run that has seen them revive their season.
Kyrie Irving and Nic Claxton will take on more responsibility during Durant’s time away
“I think everybody’s going to have to step up,” Claxton said Sunday night.
‘This is not the first time he or Ky have been out. Everyone will have to step up a bit, and we’ll be fine.