2 min read • March 03, 2022
Posted in
Check out this matchup's Court View here:
After a 21-game absence that has contributed to a disastrous 6 weeks for the Nets, Kevin Durant will make his return for the ailing No. 8 seed on Thursday night against East No. 1 seed Miami.
The Nets have gone 5-16 without the 7-footer, much of which featured Kyrie Irving, after a 24-12 record with Durant before his Jan. 15 MCL sprain.
Because the game is in Brooklyn, however, Irving will be unavailable, but Durant will be flanked by Patty Mills, Seth Curry, and Cam Thomas, who have each had great shooting performances in the past few weeks to lead the short-handed Nets to victory.
Since coming to New York, Curry is averaging 17.9 points on 49% shooting and 46.8% from the field, and figures to be even more efficient working next to Durant.
Besides a potential minutes restriction, Durant should not be limited by the injury.
Ben Simmons remains week-to-week while Andre Drummond, who missed Tuesday’s game with a knee ailing from a hard fall on Monday, is listed as probable against the Heat. Joe Harris remains out with his left ankle debacle.
Possibly influenced by Irving’s vaccine challenge, the Nets are a dismal 7-23 against the spread at home, while the Heat are among the best at 20-14 ATS on the road.
The Heat, who were without point guard and tone-setter Kyle Lowry in a devastating home loss to the Bucks Wednesday night, will play in their 5th game in the 7 days since the all-star break. Lowry will miss this matchup as well.
Tyler Herro and Gabe Vincent filled in the offensive creator role well, combining for 51 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds on 19-36 shooting.
Jimmy Butler mustered only 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in 35 minutes, scoring 0 points in the final 36 minutes of the contest.
Despite the instinct to assume he will sit out this back-to-back, Butler has only missed one such game this season, coming on January 31 after a marathon 52-minute performance in a 3-overtime loss to the Raptors 2 nights before. He is questionable for the game with a left big toe injury. Also questionable are PJ Tucker, Caleb Martin, and Max Strus, all of whom played on Wednesday.
Miami remains without depth wings Markieff Morris and Victor Oldaipo, Morris with his neck injury sustained on a blindside hit by Nikola Jokic in early November and Oladipo while rehabbing from a right quadriceps tendon surgery in May 2021.
Update:
Jimmy Butler and P.J. Tucker have been ruled out for Thursday's game, joining Kyle Lowry on the sidelines. Caleb Martin, Max Strus, and Gabe Vincent are likely to start in their places, with Omer Yurtseven and DeWayne Dedmon serving bigger roles off the bench.
Potential Plays:
Over 221.5 Total Points
Kevin Durant O22.5 Points
Written by
