NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Brooklyn Nets star guard Kyrie Irving will be sidelined for at least a week after an MRI exam Sunday revealed the extent of a right knee injury, the NBA club announced.
Irving suffered a medial ligament sprain in his right knee, the MRI revealed, sidelining him until a scheduled re-evaluation in one week.
The injury came in the fourth quarter of Brooklyn’s 113-107 loss Saturday at Washington.
Irving became tangled with Bradley Beal in a tussle for the ball before Beal fell awkwardly on the outside of Irving’s right leg.
Irving finished with 11 points, his lowest total in a game this season.
In 20 games this season, Irving has averaged 27.4 points, 6.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 steal a game for the Nets.
Irving has already missed a career-high 28 games this season, 26 of them with a right shoulder injury, another with a strained hamstring and one to mourn the death last weekend of retired Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant.
The latest injury will see Irving miss Nets home games Monday against Phoenix and Wednesday against Golden State as well as a game Saturday at Toronto.
After his re-evaluation next Sunday, Irving could return as early as February 10 at Indiana.
At 21-27, the Nets rank seventh in the Eastern Conference in the penultimate playoff position but four other clubs are within five games to challenge them over the final two months of the campaign.
© Agence France-Presse
