The Brooklyn Nets got some rough news on Sunday after star point guard Kyrie Irving was diagnosed with a medial ligament sprain in his right knee, an injury he suffered in his team’s 113-107 loss to the Washington Wizards.
The scary moment happened in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game. Irving, driving to the hoop, got his right leg twisted up under Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal’s body.
He was forced to leave the game, departing with 29 minutes played and 11 points.
The former Cavaliers and Celtics guard has been Brooklyn’s biggest star this season, averaging 27.4 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game for the middling Nets. Irving has taken up a starring role for his struggling team, which currently finds itself with a 21-27 record and in 7th place in the Eastern Conference.
Irving, who signed a four-year, $142 contract with the Nets this summer, is a six-time All-Star and one of the premier players at his position in the league.
The Australia native will be evaluated next week after seven days of rest. It’s still unknown how much time he will miss with an injury whose time of recovery depends on the severity of the strain.
The Nets will hope that Irving won’t miss too much time with this setback.
