The Miami Heat could’ve walked out of their home, formerly called the FTX Arena, with a win after a massive injury to their opponents. The Brooklyn Nets saw their best player and MVP candidate Kevin Durant go down with a knee injury after playing just 17 minutes, causing him to miss the rest of the game.
The Nets managed to win the game with a Royce O’Neale game-winner, but fans are apprehensive about the future. Kevin Durant had been excellent all season long and was the lynchpin behind the Nets’ incredible run of wins since December. With him getting hurt and possibly missing time, fans are incredibly worried about how the Nets will manage their record.
Jimmy Butler lands on Kevin Durant's knees. KD injured his knee around this time last year and the Nets' entire landscape changed with James Harden quitting & forcing a trade
It's the same nightmare relived #NetsWorld pic.twitter.com/8XhkdDkkzg
— Jeri Tsai (@JeriTsaiNets) January 9, 2023
Initial gut reaction = MCL injury. Valgus moment on his knee (collapsing inward). MRI tomorrow prob to determine severity. Can’t rule out more significant injury too (ACL)
— Dave Lorenz, DPT (@DLorenzDPT) January 9, 2023
Doesn’t look too bad in my opinion… I wouldn’t mind KD missing some games and the all star game. He is one of those players regardless of how much time he misses you can plug him in wherever whenever and he’s back like he never left.
— AJ⁶𓅓 (@AdrianJ1994) January 9, 2023
Vaughn said Durant will likely get an MRI on Monday.
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) January 9, 2023
Damn. Hopefully this forces Marks to make a significant move by the deadline. KD and Kyrie are bound to miss games due to injury, need another scorer.
— Nash is to blame (@arthur_cashe) January 9, 2023
PRAYER CIRCLE
🕯 🕯
🕯 🕯
Kevin Durant
🕯 Is 🕯
Ok
🕯 🕯
🕯 🕯
— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) January 9, 2023
— Nets Insider (@notoriousbknets) January 9, 2023
— NetsKingdom 👑🗽 (@NetsKingdomAJ) January 9, 2023
— Dirk Nowitzki (@Brooklyn_Sniper) January 9, 2023
— Dirk Nowitzki (@Brooklyn_Sniper) January 9, 2023
KD when All Star weekend is approaching pic.twitter.com/kenk77yW5r
— bkena (fka Vex) (@bkenamusic) January 9, 2023
KD got injured as soon as he was bout to battle Tatum on primetime TV pic.twitter.com/dliMuz3Cwm
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) January 9, 2023
KD GETS INJURED EVERY JANUARY DAWG pic.twitter.com/kPEA5Bap7q
— A ✩ (@adryanashton) January 9, 2023
The Brooklyn Nets are 18-2 in their last 20 games, just gotta hope KD is ok. pic.twitter.com/hX2JGeyDPm
— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) January 9, 2023
Oh no. Jimmy Butler feel into Kevin Durant's knee. KD tried to stay in, but asked out and immediately headed to the Nets locker room.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) January 9, 2023
This is the perfect moment for Kyrie Irving to step up and prove to the Nets that he deserves the max contract extension Joe Tsai didn’t want to give him in the summer. KD has been injury prone in recent years and misses time during the season regularly. The question is, can the Nets actually stay competitive without him or will they plummet down the standings?
Are The Nets In Trouble?
Losing your franchise star isn’t ideal but the Nets have a deep team behind KD to keep them in the mix of things. Kyrie Irving is having a great season and is well-equipped to pump up his scoring to make up for what the Nets are losing with KD.
The inconsistency of teams below them in the standings like the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Philadelphia 76ers gives the Nets a solid chance to keep their head above water. The current 2nd seed will also have to fend off the Milwaukee Bucks, who themselves are in a rough patch of form right now.
If KD doesn’t miss a big chunk of time, the Nets can easily be in a strong position when he returns. However, over a month-long absence could be scary for Brooklyn.
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