When will Kevin Durant be back to play with the Nets?

The Brooklyn Nets will get a much-needed shot in the arm on Thursday night with superstar Kevin Durant expected to return to action when the team hosts the Miami Heat.

The forward was no longer on the Nets’ injury report on Wednesday, after being sidelined since mid-January when he sustained an MCL sprain. He suffered the injury in their 120-105 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Durant had been practicing more on the court recently as he recovered from the sprain, and the Nets believe he is ready to play again.

The fall of Brooklyn

Brooklyn needs the help as they have plunged from being the favorites to reach the NBA finals to number eight in the Eastern Conference.

They were second in the East but went 5-16 since they lost the services of the 33-year-old. Durant had been the league leader in points, with a 29.3 average per game. He also averaged 7.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 36.5 minutes of play.

The team also lost James Harden and Paul Milsap in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers while Durant was nursing his injury. In exchange, the Nets acquired 2016 first-round draft pick Ben Simmons who has yet to make his debut.

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The Nets miss Simmons and Irving

There is still no timetable for Simmons’ first game with the team. The Australian experienced back soreness while undergoing reconditioning exercises needed after not playing a single game this season.

Brooklyn has 19 games left to play in the regular season, 11 of them at home. This means that the team will miss unvaccinated Kyrie Irving for most of remaining games, as the New York mandate prevents him from playing at Barclays Center.

With the return of Durant, the Nets could start bouncing back to becoming a contender for the NBA championship.