Kevin Durant Out 7-10 Days With Hamstring Strain

The OKC Thunder announced Wednesday that superstar forward Kevin Durant will be sidelined for approximately 7-10 days, as he recovers from a left hamstring strain.

The 2014 MVP was hurt Tuesday night in a road win against the Washington Wizards.

Durant, 27, is putting up averages of 28.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 34.7 minutes.

From the press release and The Oklahoman:

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) today that confirmed he has a strained left hamstring that he sustained during the second quarter of last night’s 125-101 victory at Washington, the team announced today. Durant will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days at which time a further update will be provided.

 

That fast start looked to be abruptly derailed 54 seconds before halftime in the nation’s capital on Tuesday. Following a drive to the basket, Durant clutched at his left hamstring but played out the rest of the quarter. He didn’t return for the second half. […] “It’s the first time,” Durant said Tuesday of straining his hamstring following the Thunder’s blowout win of the Wizards. “I can walk, it’s just a little sore. I’ll get treatment on it and see how I feel after that.”

 

That Durant continued to play after the initial injury showed it wasn’t as severe as it could have been. There are three degrees of hamstring injuries, with Durant’s likely falling into the first degree, according to Dennis Thompson, ATC — managing partner of Excel Physical Therapy in Ardmore and a certified athletic trainer for 30 years. […] “It is a good sign in the fact that you could probably rule out a third degree there,” said Thompson, who said a third degree, or Grade 3 would be a complete rupture of a muscle. A Grade 2 would be a tear, but the main muscle would still be intact, while a Grade 1 is a strain or ‘micro tears.’ “If it would have ruptured, he would have had to stop functioning.”