Will Kevin Durant Play Tonight? Brooklyn Nets vs Utah Jazz: Injury Updates, Expected Lineups, and Game Prediction

NBA action resumes as the Brooklyn Nets face the Utah Jazz tonight. The game tips off at 7:30 pm EST, and the Nets play host at the Barclays Center.

After being termed as contenders, the Nets are failing expectations already. Their current record is 3-4 which includes losses to the Atlanta Hawks and the Charlotte Hornets. Their superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are doing their best, but the rest of the team has been very inconsistent.

The Jazz’s record at the moment is 4-2, which is surprising considering how poor Donovan Mitchell has been so far. He is shooting just 37% from the field and has been unable to find his form this season. They head into this game on the back of 2 impressive wins against the Spurs and the Clippers.

Brooklyn Nets expected lineup

The Nets lost Spencer Dinwiddie to an ACL injury after just 3 games. Since then, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot has taken over the starting spot.

They have now received another major blow, with Durant being ruled out of their next 4 games. He has to undergo a 7-day quarantine due to exposure to COVID. So this is a big loss for the Nets.

So their likely lineup would be Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris as the guards, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Taurean Prince as the forwards, and DeAndre Jordan as the center. Prince started instead of Durant against the Grizzlies, and he will be expected to do so yet again.

Utah Jazz expected lineup

Injuries are not weighing the Jazz down; however, they have still listed backup center, Derrick Favors, as probable. He is barely averaging 15 minutes per game currently, but was crucial in their win against the Clippers.

Their lineup will remain unchanged. So Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell will start as the guards, Bojan Bogdanovic and Royce O’Neale as the forwards, and Rudy Gobert will start as the center.

Predictions

The Nets lost the only game Durant didn’t play and later struggled even after his return. On the other hand, the Jazz are doing well despite their best player struggling. The Nets‘ second unit has fallen short frequently, and that has been the main reason for their setback.

On the other hand, the Jazz’s bench is playing an important part in their wins. So this should help them pip the Nets. Their margin of victory depends on if Mitchell can return to form, otherwise it could be a narrow win for the Jazz.