This season, Kevin Durant is the leading scorer and shot blocker for the Nets.
As the Brooklyn Nets commence 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 to fully participate against the Warriors during the road trip. However, DeAndre Jordan, the center, will not be playing against Golden State due to personal reasons.
Steve Nash stated that Kevin Durant will be fully ready to play in tomorrow’s game against Golden State.
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) February 12, 2021
Steve Nash announced that DeAndre Jordan will not be participating in tomorrow’s game against the Warriors due to personal circumstances.
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) February 12, 2021
Kevin Durant joined the Nets in practice today and is scheduled to participate in their road trip, starting 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 familiar with the details confirmed that Durant was in a car with a team employee three times last Friday. The last drive was to the arena where Durant was initially taken out of the starting lineup. However, he was later given clearance to play and, for the first time in his career, he came off the bench. Durant was then withdrawn once more during the third quarter of the Nets’ defeat.
According to an anonymous source who spoke to The Associated Press, it appeared that both Durant and the employee were not wearing masks. The source requested anonymity as the details were not publicly disclosed.
Following their game against the Warriors on Saturday, Brooklyn is set to play a series of matches against several Western Conference playoff-quality opponents. The lineup includes the Sacramento Kings on February 15, Phoenix Suns on February 16, Los Angeles Lakers on February 18, and the LA Clippers on February 21.
Durant is the top scorer for the Nets with 29.5 points per game and is also second in rebounding with 7.4 rebounds per game. He ranks third in assists with 5.2 per game and is the team’s leading blocker with 1.4 blocks per game, all while playing an average of 35.9 minutes per game. At present, the Nets are the third seed in the Eastern Conference, falling 3 1/2 games behind the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
