After missing the past three games due to NBA health and safety protocols, Kevin Durant will return on Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team announced.
However, Kyrie Irving will miss his third consecutive game for personal reasons.
The Nets chose not to elaborate on Irving’s absence, with coach Steve Nash saying on Friday that he had communicated with the All-Star guard but wanted to keep the talks private. Asked if he was happy with Irving’s level of communication, Nash again said he wanted to keep it private, a sentiment he maintained before the Nets faced the Thunder.
“All the communication with Ky between the organization, I’ll keep private,” Nash said Sunday, “but I’ll probably hear from him sometime.”
Asked if he had any idea of a timeline with Irving’s return, Nash said he did not.
Durant, who tested positive for COVID-19 last spring and still shows antibodies in his tests, recently had a close contact that forced him to sit out with a mandatory seven-day quarantine.
“Kevin is excited. He was crushed to sit out,” Nash said. “We all know he likes the game and likes to hop, so he’s excited to be, and of course we have one lucky coach to have him back.”
Without Durant and Irving, the Nets have split their last two games.