BOSTON — The Nets left home their injured trio of Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons and TJ Warren, missing the trip for Wednesday’s 139-96 loss to the Celtics.
But they claim that Simmons and Warren are trending toward a comeback Saturday at home against the Wizards. Durant’s knee should be reevaluated soon after, with continued sentiment that he’ll be back sooner rather than later.
“Hopeful, man; keep the hope alive,” Nets coach Jake Vaughn said of Simmons and Warren.
“Yeah, it’s the next day. They’re not ready yet. So the best thing is to leave them at home, get more treatment, and then hope for Saturday vs. Washington. Hope. That it is still part of the plan.
Simmons was ruled out of the Jan. 26 game against Detroit, and has now sat out the last three straight with a sore left knee. Warne was ruled out with a left shin injury. Vaughan claimed that neither suffered a blow.
“No, they’re definitely moving in the right direction to get back on the floor,” Vaughan said. “We just weren’t there to put them back out there.”
Durant suffered a sprained right MCL on January 8 in Miami. On Tuesday, January 23, the Nets said the star forward would be reevaluated in two weeks.
He missed seven weeks last season when he suffered an MCL injury in the other leg, though a source told The Post that the injury was not as severe as it should have been. Now Durant’s manager and business partner Rich Kleiman told ESPN that the star hopes to be ready before the All-Star Game.
“I spoke with Kevin Durant’s business partner and manager, Rich Kleiman, tonight and he tells me KD is hopeful he can come back and play on All-Star weekend,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski told NBA Count. said on Down. “He definitely wants to be part of the All-Star: It’s Feb. 19. He likes how his rehab is going, how he looks on the court, and most importantly, how he feels. Is.
“I think with Kevin Durant playing and coming back and being a part of All-Star weekend, you would expect him to need to play a game or two before the Nets’ All-Star break.”
The Nets allowed 26 3-pointers to the Celtics, the second-most allowed in an NBA game this season. On November 5, the Knicks scored 27 in Boston.
The Nets’ 46-16 deficit after the opening quarter was the largest first-quarter lead in Celtics history.
Yuta Watanabe scored six points on 1-of-4 shooting in 19 minutes after initially being listed as possible with back tightness. David Duke Jr., Kessler Edwards and Drew Smith were out on G League assignment.
Boston center Robert Williams III had 16 points and nine rebounds after being listed as questionable with a sprained left ankle. Danilo Gallinari and Marcus Smart are both out.
Read full article here