The Brooklyn Nets have two key injuries to members of their big three, but that’s not going to change the timetable for either of them.
The Nets lost to the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday to even the Eastern Conference semifinals at two games a piece. To make matters worse, Brooklyn lost guard Kyrie Irving late in the second quarter after he sprained his right ankle. That raises the possibility that both he and James Harden will be sidelined for Game 5 and possibly beyond.
After the game, Nets coach Steve Nash made clear that Irving’s injury will not change how the team handles Harden. In other words, don’t expect to see Harden rushed back into action just because Irving may be unavailable.
Steve Nash says he won’t rush James Harden back if Kyrie Irving is not able to play in Game 5, or if Harden pushes to play, saying the injuries are “independent” of each other.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) June 13, 2021
The good news is Irving’s ankle injury does not appear to be as bad as it could have been. Couple that with the fact that the Nets had previously been optimistic about getting Harden back before the end of the series and this may not be the end of the world. That said, things are suddenly a lot tougher for Brooklyn, especially if both stars can’t go in an increasingly pivotal Game 5.
