There are some surprises to the Nets status report for Tuesday’s game against the ... none of them good surprises. It is a lengthy injury report that listed seven players out. With LaMarcus Aldridge still not waived, that means the Nets will have only nine players available in New Orleans.
The big news, of course, is that Kevin Durant, who suffered a left thigh contusion in Sunday’s loss to the Miami Heat, has been ruled out. The Nets superstar sustained the injury off a drive when Trevor Ariza’s knee made contact with Durant’s thigh.
While the news about KD wasn’t much of a surprise, the presence of Nic Claxton, 22, and Reggie Perry, 21, on the status report —and the reason, the league’s NBA health and safety protocols — was the big surprise.