The last time Kevin Durant suited up for the Nets in mid-January, they were an Eastern Conference force. Even without the services of Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn was one of the league’s best teams. As the star prepares for his official return from a knee injury this Thursday against the Heat, it’ll be at the helm of a new-look team–without James Harden–trying to steady a freefall.
Durant’s stardom and evident gifts aside, Brooklyn will need all the help it can get against Miami: The current top seed in the East. The Heat is a consensus -7.5 favorite over the Nets, and while Durant’s presence should lift those odds some in his team’s favor, it shouldn’t be enough to make them a safe bet to pull off the upset.
#NBA #Nets – Kevin Durant (knee) expected to return Thursday.
— Action Labs (@ActionLabs_HQ) March 2, 2022
