This season, Kevin Durant is the leading scorer and shot blocker for the Nets.
As the Brooklyn Nets embark on a crucial road trip, forward Kevin Durant will 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 fully prepared 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 confirmed that Kevin Durant will be fully ready to play against Golden State tomorrow.
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) February 12, 2021
Steve Nash announced that DeAndre Jordan will not be playing in tomorrow’s game against the Warriors due to personal reasons.
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) February 12, 2021
Today, Kevin Durant had a practice session with the Nets and is scheduled to play in their upcoming road trip, which starts 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, Durant was driven to various locations by a team employee last Friday, as reported by a knowledgeable source. The final destination was the arena. Here, Durant was initially taken out of the starting lineup, then given the clearance to play, and for the first time in his career, came in as a substitute. He was later benched once more during the third quarter of the Nets’ defeat.
According to an anonymous source, both Durant and the employee appeared to not be wearing masks, as reported to The Associated Press. The source requested anonymity as the details had not been made public.
After their game against the Warriors on Saturday, Brooklyn will be up against several playoff-grade teams from the Western Conference in a series of games. The lineup 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 tops the scoring chart for the Nets with an average of 29.5 points per game. He is also the team’s second-best rebounder (7.4 rpg), third in assists (5.2 apg) and leads in blocks (1.4 bpg), all while playing an average of 35.9 minutes per game. Currently, the Nets are the third seed in the Eastern Conference, lagging 3 1/2 games behind the first-seeded Philadelphia 76ers.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
