Is Kevin Durant playing tonight? Nets star ruled out of crunch clash vs Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers square off against the Brooklyn Nets at the Staples Center on Thursday, February 18. The highly-anticipated contest between the two NBA giants is scheduled to kick off at 10:00 PM ET (Friday, February 19 at 8:30 AM IST). However, social media has been abuzz over whether or not Nets superstar Kevin Durant will feature in the game against the Lakers after missing the previous two games for Steve Nash's side. 

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Kevin Durant injury update: Nets star nursing hamstring injury

On Sunday, the Brooklyn Nets announced that Durant would miss at least the next two games after tweaking his hamstring during Saturday night’s win over the Warriors. The Eastern Conference giants claimed that they were uncertain on when Durant might return to the Nets lineup, but head coach Steve Nash insisted that the 32-year-old's hamstring injury was a short-term issue. Durant has already missed the games against the Sacramento Kings and the Phoenix Suns despite the Nets coming out victorious in both those fixtures. However, fans have now been curious to know whether the two-time NBA champion will feature against the defending NBA champs on Thursday.

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Is Kevin Durant playing tonight? Durant listed as 'out' for game vs Lakers

According to reports from ESPN, Kevin Durant will miss Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. This will mark the third game Durant has missed since sustaining a 'mild' hamstring injury on Saturday. Durant missed the entirety of the 2019-20 campaign as he recovered from a ruptured Achilles' tendon, but he came right back to lead the Nets this season.

Durant's hamstring injury occurred soon following his return to the Nets lineup after missing a week due to the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols. In 19 games so far, he's averaging 29.0 points on 52.4 percent shooting from the field and a career-best 43.4 per cent from deep while collecting 7.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. The Nets will be hoping to have Durant back in the lineup as soon as possible. 

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NBA live stream: Where to watch Nets vs Lakers live? 

There will be no live telecast or streaming of the game in India. Fans in India will have to buy the NBA League Pass (NBA App or site) to watch live games. In the USA, the Nets vs Lakers live stream will be available on FuboTV. Live scores and updates will be available on the Twitter handles of both teams. 

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Image Credits - AP