Nets' Kevin Durant departs vs. Heat with knee injury

Nets superstar Kevin Durant exited Sunday’s game against Miami with a right knee injury, the team tweets.

The Heat’s Jimmy Butler fell onto Durant’s knee after Ben Simmons blocked Butler’s shot late in the third quarter. Durant played two more possessions before retreating to the locker room, ESPN’s Frank Isola tweets.

Brooklyn has been the hottest team in the league since its 6-9 start, winning 20 of its last 24 games. Durant, of course, has been the biggest part of that success, averaging 30.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists.

Durant has been battling injuries the past few seasons. Last season, Durant sprained the MCL in his left knee on January 15 and was sidelined for over a month. Brooklyn went 5–17 in his absence and its season feel apart.

Durant said in April that his injury “derailed” the Nets’ season. The Nets will have to hope Durant’s latest injury is nothing serious and there won’t be a repeat.