Why Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis are sitting on the Nets vs Lakers game

The Nets and Lakers kick off their game Thursday night (10 p.m. ET, TNT) on hot streaks, with Brooklyn looking to extend its four-game winning streak and Los Angeles having won eight of its last nine games. Both teams are full of talent and currently second in their respective conference standings. This contest could serve as a preview of the NBA Finals.

Well, actually hopefully that’s not quite the case as that would mean a few key players aren’t able to show up for the Championship Series.

While Net guards Kyrie Irving and James Harden and Lakers forward LeBron James are expected to play, Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis will not be available when the teams meet at Staples Center in Los Angeles. KD and AD are grappling with injuries, leaving basketball fans wondering if Brooklyn and Los Angeles will fully intersect before the regular season ends.

So what happens with each player? Here are the latest updates on Durant and Davis.

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Why is Kevin Durant absent against the Lakers?

The Nets announced on Sunday that Durant would miss at least two games (Monday against Kings, Tuesday against Suns) after being diagnosed with slight tension in the left hamstrings. He received treatment, but is still listed as absent for Thursday’s game against the Lakers.

Durant will be sidelined for the sixth time in Brooklyn’s last seven games after three games are missing earlier this month in accordance with NBA health and safety protocols. He averages 29.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game in his first real campaign with the Nets after being out for the entire last season as he recovers from an injury to Achille.

Despite the unique challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and typical injury issues, Nets coach Steve Nash is optimistic his team will be able to weather the storm.

“I think the guys are getting used to it,” Nash said Tuesday. “We’ve been saying it since the start of the year. That’s how this year is going to be. It’s kinda impossible during a pandemic and with a waterlogged calendar that things don’t happen. and happen almost systematically. I think the guys kind of knew that. this is the type of season we were going to face and they’re … a little numb now.

“The challenge for us is to keep improving, no matter who comes out each night. How can we improve in what we are trying to do to not give up games or weeks of the season? We are constantly solving problems , solve problems and work towards a bigger goal. “

Why is Anthony Davis absent against Nets?

After Davis came off the floor in the second quarter of Sunday’s game between the Lakers and the Nuggets, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Davis had re-aggravated his right Achilles tendonosis, which eliminated him from two games earlier in the month. Fortunately for Davis and the Lakers, the MRI results showed no rupture of the right Achilles tendon but apparently revealed a calf strain and confirmed the tendonosis.

Davis will be reassessed in two to three weeks, according to Wojnarowski, who added that Davis is “unlikely” to play again before the 2021 All-Star break. If he stays on that timeline, Davis would miss at least nine games.

“For me, all that matters to me is health”, James said asked about Davis’ injury. “I want him to be healthy. Our team needs him to be healthy. He needs to make sure he takes all the precautionary reasons, everything, do his due diligence on what’s going on with him. his injury and be right when he returns.

“No rush, no schedule. We have no idea that aspect, but we just want him to be healthy and regain his strength.”

Nets vs Lakers injury report

(Current at 8:30 p.m. ET Thursday)