The Nets played the Pelicans at home, and the good news was that Harden and a host of young players were getting better and better chemistry, and they took down the Pelicans without much effort. The bad news, of course, is that Durant is injured.
In the second quarter, the Pelicans' Jones broke through with the ball, and the Nets' Brown was knocked to the ground and accidentally hit Durant's left knee. It's a very common injury on the pitch, the knee counter-joint is pinned, and everyone who has experienced it knows it hurts a lot.
Durant then covered his knees, tried to take a few steps, and then walked directly to the bench. After being confirmed by the team doctor that he could not stick to the game, Durant returned to the locker room for an examination, and then the news came out that Durant could not play today.
Before leaving, Durant shot 4-of-7, 1-of-2 from three-point range and 3-of-3 from the free throw line, and had 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Tomorrow Durant will reportedly undergo further tests of the MRI.
It can be said that the result of this MRI may determine the fate of the Nets this season. If it's just a sprain or a knee overextending, of course, it's best, the biggest fear is damage to the cruciate ligament, and the season and career may be affected.
Durant suffered a similar injury while still in the Warriors in 2017, and that time it looked more serious than this one, eventually with a second-degree ligament sprain and tibia contusion, missing more than a month and 19 games.
Whatever the outcome, that should be enough to sound the alarm for the Nets, and Durant can't be used that way in subsequent games. Durant currently averages 37.2 minutes per game, second in the league, behind VanVleet.
While Durant has said more than once that he's okay averaging 40 minutes per game, he's probably the favorite person on the planet to play. But Nash can't come from Durant's temperament, even if Durant is definitely the best solution on the court.
At present, Durant is averaging 29.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game, averaging the league's first points per game, and has maintained MVP level throughout the season, and the lack of such a person on any team is a huge weakening.
I believe that even if Durant is only slightly injured, the Nets should also consider making Irving from a "part-time" player to a full-time player. Whether it's getting Owen vaccinated or paying a fine for Owen, Irving has to come back completely.
Either let Irving stop fighting at all, or let him come back completely. A player can only play away, which is also ridiculous.