The Brooklyn Nets held Kevin Durant out of Friday’s 115-113 win over the Orlando Magic due to a proper shoulder sprain that has “simply been bugging him just a little bit.”
Nets coach Steve Nash made it clear, although, that Durant’s damage won’t be one thing that can hold him out for a number of video games.
“Let me put it on this context: We do not really feel involved that it will linger or that he’d miss the subsequent recreation,” Nash instructed reporters earlier than the sport. “It is only a pocket within the season [to find him some rest] the place it is not like he sits tonight and performs tomorrow or Sunday. He truly will get a number of days relaxation on prime of remainder of the shoulder [before the Nets play again on Monday], and so there was a number of elements that I feel made it enticing for us to decide on this recreation for him to sit down.”
Durant acknowledged Sunday that he had been getting remedy on his capturing shoulder however had been enjoying by the problem. Friday marked Durant’s first missed recreation of the season.
Durant, 33, is second within the NBA in scoring at 28.6 factors per recreation whereas additionally contributing 7.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per contest.
“I simply suppose it is simply been bugging him just a little bit,” Nash stated of Durant’s shoulder. “And discovering a time for him to relaxation is troublesome, so popping out of a back-to-back [on Wednesday], the shoulder lingering just a little and him having a four-day break right here, in a way, for the shoulder is simply a possibility we thought was optimistic for us. Sadly for tonight, it hurts the workforce, however in the long term it may assist us. These are the choices it’s important to make.”
The Nets have been additionally with out sharpshooter Joe Harris and veteran Paul Millsap towards the Magic. Harris missed his third straight recreation due to a left ankle sprain, whereas Millsap sat out a fourth straight recreation for private causes.