Is Kevin Durant playing tonight vs Pelicans? Kevin Durant injury update revealed

The Brooklyn Nets are living up to their tag as championship contenders so far and find themselves at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. The Nets have won seven of their last 10 games despite having one of their Big 3 out injured for a significant period of time. Kevin Durant has missed a major chunk of his NBA return season, which saw Brooklyn add the likes of Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge to their roster. Now with the clash against New Orleans Pelicans looming, here's a look at the Kevin Durant injury update and the answer to the 'Is Kevin Durant playing tonight?' query -

Is Kevin Durant playing tonight? When is Kevin Durant coming back? 

Brooklyn Nets are preparing for a Kevin Durant return as the NBA superstar is all set to make his return to the fold against the New Orleans Pelicans. The 32-year-old has missed the last 23 games after suffering a right hamstring strain, having featured in only seven games since the Nets signed James Harden. The former Warriors superstar had been ruled out for just two games, but subsequent imaging revealed a more severe strain.

However, the Kevin Durant injury does not exist at the moment, with a recovery being fully made. The Nets were extra cautious with their Durant's rehab after he sat out the 2019-20 campaign while recovering from a ruptured Achilles he suffered during the NBA Finals vs Toronto Raptors while playing for the Warriors. 

Kevin Durant return: Kevin Durant injury update and other important news

Brooklyn have added veterans Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge for starters since Durant last played for the Nets, but he returns to familiar surrounding with Kyrie Irving fit and running the show. Irving has been in fine form in recent weeks, as he and Harden ensured that the Nets went ahead of the 76ers in the standings. And while Durant is listed as probable for Wednesday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, James Harden will miss out with a right hamstring strain. The Beard is one of the front runners for the MVP this season and will miss the next 10 days after an MRI scan following his four-minute cameo against the New York Knicks. 

When fit, Kevin Durant is arguably one of the greatest players in the NBA and has shown his quality in the limited on-court time he has had with the Nets. His presence on their roster is a major reason the Nets are on the shortlist of realistic championship contenders this season. The 32-year-old has featured in just 19 of the Nets' 51 games this season, with injuries and NBA's health and safety procedures robbing him of significant minutes. Durant is averaging 29.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.4 blocks per game this season while shooting 52.4 per cent from the field and 43.4 per cent from the three-point range.

(Image Courtesy: nba.com)