Durant doubtful with ankle blow, four added to Nets COVID-19 protocol absentee list

The Brooklyn Nets listed Kevin Durant as questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Raptors – and COVID-19 protocols have seen five others ruled out.

Durant has ‘right ankle soreness’, the Nets said, and that comes two days after he scored a season-high 51 points in the Nets’ 116-104 win over the Detroit Pistons.

Kyrie Irving remains away from the team and unavailable having refused to be vaccinated, and Joe Harris is another confirmed absentee after undergoing ankle surgery.

The NBA’s strict protocols in pandemic times mean the Nets also must cope without five more members of Steve Nash’s squad.

It had been previously announced that Paul Millsap was on that list, before the Nets added LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre’ Bembry, James Johnson and Jevon Carter on Tuesday.

Aldridge, Johnson and Bembry were starters, alongside Durant, in Sunday’s clash with Detroit.

The clash with Toronto is due to be the first of five games in eight days at Barclays Center for the Nets, whose 19-8 record sees them lead the way in the Eastern Conference.