AP
NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant will start Thursday night against Miami for the Brooklyn Nets after missing 21 games with a sprained left knee ligament.
Jacque Vaughn, who coaches the team on health and safety protocols with Steve Nash, said there are no preset limits on how much Durant can play and said they would have an open dialogue throughout the game.
The Nets brought Durant off the bench in his first game after returning from a lengthy injury layoff last season, but Vaughn said the all-star forward was ready from the start this time.
The Nets were 5-16 in Durant’s absence and fell from second to eighth in the Eastern Conference. They are still without Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons but believe only Durant will make a difference.
“It’s definitely going to have an immediate impact on our juice and our level of play tonight,” Vaughn said.
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