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 is set to rejoin 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 set to fully participate in the game against the Warriors during their road trip. However, DeAndre Jordan, the team’s center, will not be playing against Golden State due to personal reasons.
Steve Nash announced that Kevin Durant is expected 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 trained with the Nets today and is scheduled to participate in their road trip, starting 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 with knowledge of the details revealed that Kevin Durant drove with a team employee three times last Friday. The last trip was to the arena. Upon arrival, Durant was taken out of the starting lineup, but was later permitted to play, coming off the bench for the first time in his career. However, he was later removed again during the third quarter of the Nets’ defeat.
The individual, who requested anonymity due to the lack of public release of details, informed The Associated Press that Durant and the employee appeared to not be wearing masks.
Following their game against the Warriors on Saturday, Brooklyn will go on to compete against a number of strong Western Conference opponents. Their schedule includes the Sacramento Kings on February 15, Phoenix Suns on February 16, Los Angeles Lakers on February 18, and LA Clippers on February 21.
Durant is the top scorer for the Nets with an average of 29.5 points per game. He also stands second in rebounding with an average of 7.4 rebounds per game, third in assists with an average of 5.2 assists per game, and leads in blocks with an average of 1.4 blocks per game. Durant averages 35.9 minutes per game. Currently, Brooklyn is the third seed in the Eastern Conference, behind the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers by 3.5 games.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
