Milwaukee Bucks: Kevin Durant’s injury affects pursuit of second seed
With 16 games remaining this regular season, the Milwaukee Bucks fully know they have to take care of business before embarking on their playoff run.
Their 128-115 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies from Saturday night certainly served as a missed opportunity for them to round into their final form and they face a stiff test in a Phoenix Suns team Monday night that had previously lost their last two tilts. While all Bucks fans see where their case for the top seed goes, they face quite the uphill climb for the top spot and where they finished in each of the last two seasons.
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As the fight for playoff positioning exists at the top of the East, the latest injury to Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant suffered during their matchup with the Miami Heat Sunday afternoon is the latest twist in this race.
Following his flying start to the 2020-21 season, Durant has continued to be hampered by various muscle injuries since fully returning from his Achilles injury suffered during the 2019 NBA Finals when he was a member of the Golden State Warriors.
After exiting midway through the first quarter, the Nets deemed Durant’s injury as a left thigh contusion and Nets head coach Steve Nash said that Monday would determine whether Durant needs further examination or an MRI.
Steve Nash said the current plan is for Kevin Durant to stay on the road with the Nets. Tomorrow will determine if he needs a scan or any additional opinions on his thigh.
— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) April 18, 2021
The Milwaukee Bucks face the Brooklyn Nets in a pivotal miniseries next month
There is still plenty of time for Durant to return to action in time for the Bucks’ big back-to-back series with the Nets, which will take place on May 2 and May 4. As a sidenote, the Bucks will host the 76ers for a similar set starting this coming Thursday and on Saturday, with both games being held at Fiserv Forum.
Even with the slim chance that exists for the Bucks to leapfrog over both as they continue chasing the top seed in the East, those games will serve as the biggest indicator for whether the Bucks can improve upon their third-seeded ranking at the moment.
Currently four games out of the top-seeded 76ers and trailing the second-seeded Nets by a game, the Bucks stand firmly in third and are 4.5 games up on the fourth-seeded Atlanta Hawks.
Not only are the Bucks less than two weeks out from facing against the Nets in that aforementioned miniseries, but they would currently be slated to face them in the second round if these standings hold for the rest of the way. Of course, the Bucks have to get there first and would currently meet the sixth-seeded New York Knicks in the first round if the season were to end today.
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Whether it’s possibly improving their positioning in the East in what remains of this regular season or coming out of the East during the playoffs, all roads lead the Bucks to getting through Brooklyn to make it out of the East. How the ongoing questions surrounding Durant’s long-term durability will be an ongoing issue that affects Brooklyn, the top of the East and the title race that’s brewing around the league.