Nets star forward Kevin Durant was diagnosed with a sprained MCL in his left knee after sustaining the injury in Brooklyn's win over the Pelicans on Saturday night, the team announced Sunday.
An MRI confirmed the severity of the injury, and Durant is expected to return to full strength following a period of rehabilitation.
The Nets did not provide a specific timeline regarding Durant's return; however, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that there is optimism within the Nets that Durant will be out between four and six weeks with the injury.
Durant injured his knee in the second quarter of Saturday's eventual 120–105 win after teammate Bruce Brown fell into it while trying to defend New Orleans forward Herb Jones. Durant immediately grabbed his knee and began limping off the court, eventually heading to the locker room for further evaluation.
He did not return to the contest.
In 35 games entering Saturday, Durant was averaging 29.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game, shooting 52.0% from the field. The Nets currently hold the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, though had lost six of their last nine prior to Saturday’s game.
