Is Kevin Durant playing tonight against the Toronto Raptors? | 2021-22 NBA season
Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets visit Scotiabank Arena in Canada to take on the Toronto Raptors tonight. The Nets are on a four-game winning streak and have finally found their rhythm. They have lost three of their first five games but have won every game since. Although their wins were against teams like the Pistons and Pacers, they did defeat Atlanta by nine points and they hope to carry that momentum in tonight's game.
Three weeks into the season, Kevin Durant is now leading the NBA MVP race. He is leading the league in scoring with 28.3 points per game while shooting at an extremely efficient 57% from the field. Although he is shooting 36% from three-point range, which is below his career average and lowest since his rookie year, he is expected to eventually shoot his way to a better average.
Kevin Durant rises to the top on this week's @Kia MVP Ladder 📈
@mikecwright | on.nba.com/3D1vX24 https://t.co/wrXx97DVFB
The Brooklyn Nets are favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference even without Kyrie Irving. But that means either Kevin Durant or James Harden cannot afford to be injured. The Nets are currently fourth in the East with a 6-3 record and face the third-seeded Chicago Bulls after the Raptors tonight.
What is Kevin Durant's status for tonight's game against the Toronto Raptors?
Kevin Durant is officially available for the game against the Toronto Raptors. He isn't listed on the team's injury report. The only player on the injury report is Nicolas Claxton, who has been sidelined for another two weeks due to a non-COVID-related illness.
Nets @HSpecialSurgery Injury Report for today’s game in Toronto: https://t.co/Vp1xwaLxAe
Kyrie Irving is not on the team's injury report but is obviously assumed to be sidelined. He is not with the team and is still unable to play for the Brooklyn Nets because he refuses to take the COVID-19 vaccine. The mayor-elect of New York City, Eric Adams, has stated that the city will not change the vaccination mandates and the Nets now might never see Irving until he gets at least one dose of the vaccine.
As reported by SNY, Kevin Durant stated that the Nets certainly miss Irving. He said:
"Yeah, we do miss Kyrie. We do...He’s a part of our team but for the most part we’ve been generating great shots, we’ve been getting into the paint. It’s just a matter of us knocking them down. I think it will come."
The Brooklyn Nets take on the LA Lakers on Christmas Day and many analysts expect Kyrie Irving to be ready by then, alongside Kevin Durant and James Harden.
Also Read: How many rings does Kevin Durant have?