NEW YORK – Kevin Durant understands the frustration Nikola Jokic is facing after the Denver Nuggets star hyperextended his left knee, an injury the Houston Rockets forward called “one of those freak” incidents that are nearly impossible to prevent.
Speaking Thursday night at Barclays Center after the Rockets defeated the Brooklyn Nets 120-96 in his first game back in the arena since leaving the Nets, Durant noted that he missed significant time in back-to-back seasons because teammates or opponents fell into his legs.
“One thing I don’t want to see with Nikola is people labeling him injury-prone,” Durant said. “You can do all the work in the world, but if somebody falls into your knee, it’s tough.”
Jokic hurt Monday in Miami
Jokic, a three-time NBA MVP, was injured Monday night against the Miami Heat when Denver teammate Spencer Jones stepped on his foot while defending Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. just before halftime. The contact caused Jokic’s knee to buckle; he went to the floor clutching the joint.
The Nuggets announced Tuesday that Jokic will be reevaluated in four weeks.
Durant’s own knee history
Durant sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee in January 2022 after Brooklyn teammate Bruce Brown was bumped backward into him, sidelining the star for 21 games. One year later on the same court, then-Miami forward Jimmy Butler fell into Durant’s right knee on Jan. 8, 2023, leading to another ligament sprain. Durant never played again for Brooklyn, which traded him to the Phoenix Suns a month later; he finally returned to action in March after missing 20 games.
Because Jokic’s injury was diagnosed as a hyperextension rather than an MCL sprain, Durant expressed optimism about the Nuggets center’s recovery timeline. “It’s good to see it’s only four weeks,” he said. “He’s great for the game, and you want to see the best players on the floor at all times.”
Source: ESPN
