This season, Kevin Durant is the leading scorer and shot-blocker for the Nets.
As the Brooklyn Nets set off on a crucial road trip, forward Kevin Durant will be rejoining the team.
Durant was back at practice on Friday after missing the Nets’ last three games for coronavirus health and safety protocols. Brooklyn went 1-2 during that stretch and is preparing for a five-game road trip that begins Saturday against one of Durant’s former teams, the Golden State Warriors (8:30 ET, ABC).
On Friday, Coach Steve Nash informed reporters that Durant is ready and set to play against the Warriors during the road trip. However, DeAndre Jordan, the center, will not be participating in the game against Golden State due to personal reasons.
Steve Nash stated that Kevin Durant is set to fully participate in tomorrow’s game against Golden State.
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) February 12, 2021
Steve Nash announced that DeAndre Jordan won’t be playing in tomorrow’s game against the Warriors due to personal reasons.
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) February 12, 2021
Kevin Durant had a practice session with the Nets today and is scheduled to participate in their road trip, which commences this Saturday at Golden State.
— Brian Mahoney (@briancmahoney) February 12, 2021
Durant was initially held out of the start of the Nets’ game against the Toronto Raptors on Feb. 5, which Brooklyn lost 123-117. He entered the game as a reserve and then had to depart the game in the third quarter to eventually face seven days of quarantine.
According to The Associated Press, a source revealed that Durant traveled by car with a team employee on three separate occasions last Friday. The final trip was to the arena where Durant, initially taken off the starting lineup, was later permitted to play. This marked the first time in his career Durant came off the bench. However, he was subsequently benched again during the third quarter of the Nets’ losing game.
The individual, who requested anonymity due to the lack of public release of details, informed The Associated Press that apparently, both Durant and the employee were not wearing masks.
Following their game against the Warriors on Saturday, Brooklyn will play a series of games against multiple Western Conference contenders. This includes matches against the Sacramento Kings (Feb. 15), Phoenix Suns (Feb. 16), Los Angeles Lakers (Feb. 18), and LA Clippers (Feb. 21).
Durant is the top scorer for the Nets with 29.5 points per game and is also the team’s second-best rebounder with 7.4 rebounds per game. He is third in assists with 5.2 per game and leads the team in blocks with 1.4 per game, while playing an average of 35.9 minutes per game. The Nets are presently seeded third in the Eastern Conference, 3 1/2 games behind the top seed, the Philadelphia 76ers.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
