Kevin Durant says January MCL injury ‘derailed’ the Nets’ season

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Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant earned a new scoring record with 55 points in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night. 

But after Monday's practice, with the Nets (40-38) currently in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings with just four games left to play, Durant suggested the MCL injury he suffered in mid-January "derailed" the team's season. 

"To be honest, I feel like our season was derailed by my injury," Durant said, via ESPN. "So I'm not looking at it like we're just not a good basketball team. It's like there wasn't a lot of continuity with me and Kyrie [Irving] out of the lineup, that's just what it is. When we're all on the floor together, I like what we got."

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Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant, left, dribbles past Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, March 10, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Durant sprained the MCL in his left knee against the New Orleans Pelicans on Jan. 15 and was sidelined for over a month. The team went 5-17 with Durant out, including an 11 game losing streak from late January until early February. Brooklyn was 27–15 before his injury. 

This season for the Nets started with much promise, but the team now finds itself needing to compete in the play-in tournament to stay alive. 

On Monday, head coach Steve Nash said swingman Ben Simmons would not be making his debut for the Nets in the regular season, and the coach would be "shocked" if Simmons played in the play-in game next week. 

KEVIN DURANT SCORES 41, NETS RALLY PAST PISTONS

Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons reacts after grabbing a rebound during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets in New York, in this Monday, Jan. 20, 2020, file photo. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Simmons was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Nets in February in exchange for James Harden, but he has yet to play for the team due to ongoing issues with his back. 

Meanwhile, Irving returned to the team full-time last month after he was forced to miss home games this season due to New York City's private sector COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets drives to the basket during the game against the Miami Heat on Feb. 12, 2022 at FTX Arena in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joseph Guzy/NBAE via Getty Images)

But even with Durant and Irving on the floor together, the team hasn't been able to find much success. When asked if Durant was looking at the NBA standings, he stated, "Who cares?"

"Whoever we play, we play. I don't care who we play," Durant said, via the outlet. "I don't care that we're in the play-in. Just tip the ball up, see what happens. That's all you can control. It's too stressful thinking about we're trying to dodge a team, lining up — just play the game. We'll see what happens."

The tournament, which includes teams with the 7th to the 10th highest winning percentages in each conference, begins April 12. 

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The Nets could potentially face single elimination if they can't move up to the eighth slot in the final week of the regular season.