Yahoo Finance Kevin Durant available to return Saturday after COVID-19 scare
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant wasn't sidelined for long. Durant is available to return for Saturday's game against the Golden State Warriors, head coach Steve Nash revealed Friday.
The news comes a week after Durant was pulled in the middle of a game due to a COVID-19 scare. Durant was considered a close contact with a Nets employee who tested positive for COVID-19. Under NBA protocols, Durant had to quarantine for seven days before he could return.
Durant only missed three games while in isolation. The Nets went 1-2 over that period, dropping games to the Philadelphia 76ers and the Detroit Pistons. At 15-12, the team currently sits third in the Eastern Conference.
In 18 games, Durant is averaging 29.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
Kevin Durant getting All-Star consideration
Durant's absence may have hurt his All-Star vote total, but he's still pretty much a lock to make the game. Durant fell behind Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James as the top overall vote getter in the second round of voting, which was released Thursday. Durant now sits second in the voting, with over 4 million votes.
While Durant's performance in the voting isn't necessarily a surprise, Durant's return to putting up elite numbers was in question after he missed all of last season while recovering from an Achilles injury. Durant hasn't missed a step since that issue, and has reasserted himself as one of the best players in the league.
It's unclear whether Durant will play in the All-Star Game this year — as players have the option to opt out — but he will get the opportunity to make that decision as long as he stays healthy.
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