The Nets have won seven of their last 10 games despite being ravaged by a COVID-19 outbreak, but Brooklyn is now even closer to full strength.
The team announced Tuesday that Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and LaMarcus Aldridge have all cleared the league’s health and safety protocols, and Durant could make his return as early as Thursday night, when Brooklyn hosts the 76ers.
Aldridge has been in protocols for nearly two weeks, while Durant and Irving will have spent 10 days on the list. They were part of an outbreak that resulted in 10 Nets players in protocols at the same time, leading the league to postpone three games before Christmas Day.
Even with Durant sidelined, the Nets won their next two games out of the postponements thanks in large part to James Harden, who scored over 35 points in wins against the Lakers and Clippers. Harden, recently out of COVID protocols himself, is now on the cusp of having a lot more help at his side.
‘Confidence is through the roof,” Harden said. “Now we just add KD, LaMarcus, [Irving] and Joe Harris, that’s four of our best players, four of our top players that are out.”
Irving will need more time before returning, since he hasn’t played a game yet all season. Head coach Steve Nash said that the superstar point guard would likely need a week or two of conditioning before seeing any game action, which would only happen in road games outside of Toronto. The first game to fit that eligibility would be on Jan. 5 against the Pacers.
But Brooklyn, still holding onto its first place spot in the Eastern Conference, is about to get even scarier.
“When we get everybody back, it’s gonna be scary hours, for real,” Nic Claxton said.
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