Kevin Durant missed his 14th straight game for the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night as he continues to nurse a lingering left hamstring strain.
That was the bad news.
The good news unfolded before the game, when Durant appeared to take a step forward in his return to play.
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Durant Sighting
Ahead of the Nets’ game against the Orlando Magic on Friday, YES Network’s Michael Grady posted a video on his Twitter account that certainly was a welcomed sight for Nets fans.
The 17-second clip showed Durant warming up on the Amway Center court ahead of Nets-Magic. Durant took a couple of shots and appeared to be moving well and without discomfort.
On Twitter, Nets fans reacted as you’d expect: with bubbling optimism.
KD Timeline for Return
Earlier this week, on March 15, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that Durant will likely miss another one to two weeks as he recovers from his left hamstring strain.
Brooklyn is very much erring on the side of caution as it eases back its 11-time All-Star.
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Nets Winning in the Meantime
Before his protracted absence, Durant was putting up MVP-caliber numbers for the Nets with averages of 29.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists. As the leading vote getter for the All-Star Game, he was named a team captain for the game.
Still, Durant has played in only 19 games this season because of the hamstring strain and two separate instances in which he was forced to miss multiple games due to COVID-19 contact tracing.
In the interim, the Nets have been just fine, to put it lightly. With the other two members of Brooklyn’s Big Three — James Harden and Kyrie Irving — leading the way, the Nets have won 14 of their last 15 games, including six straight. Heading into Friday night’s game, they were in a virtual tie for first place in the Eastern Conference with the Philadelphia 76ers, who, like the Nets, entered Friday with a 28-13 record.
All of that has left Nets fans to wonder how good this team can be once the Big Three is reassembled. The trio of superstars has played only seven games together since Harden was dealt to Brooklyn from the Houston Rockets on January 14.
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Kevin Durant Takes Big Step as He Eyes Return From Hamstring Injury [WATCH]