When star point guard Devin Harris went down midway through the third quarter Tuesday night with a knee injury, the New Jersey Nets' chances of defeating the New York Knicks went with him. Now, the Nets are awaiting the results of an MRI to see just how much more they are going to lose.
Harris said after the game that the knee felt "pretty stable" and tried not to sound concerned. But, if you follow sports you know that doesn't mean much when it comes to knee injuries. The Nets know Harris won't play tonight when the team hosts Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder. All they can do, though, is cross their fingers and hope they don't lose Harris for a lot longer.
Nets coach Avery Johnson is "hoping and praying for some good news today."
He will need some. No offense to talented center Brook Lopez, but Harris is the Nets' most important player. The Nets are 6-12, and Harris has scored more than 20 points in five of those victories. When he scores more than 20, the Nets are 5-2.
If you watched Tuesday night's game vs. the Knicks, you can see Harris' importance. New Jersey is not a great offensive team even with Harris (17.7 ppg., 6.6 assists), but without him they have no one who can create shots or control pace.
So, yes, the Nets are hoping for good news from Harris' MRI today.