Heat vs. Nets Thursday NBA injury report, spread, odds: Kevin Durant set at over-under 26.5 points in return from injury

Not long ago, TNT opted to drop Heat-Nets from its doubleheader lineup tonight because it looked like a mismatch considering Brooklyn was expected to be without Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons. Irving and Simmons remain out, but Durant will play for the first time since Jan. 15 and is given an Over/Under of 26.5 points at Caesars Sportsbook. Brooklyn is a 2.5-point home underdog in what could be a playoff preview. Click here for model picks.

Actually, there's a solid chance this will be a first-round Eastern Conference playoff preview. The Heat have a 1.5-game lead atop the conference, while the Nets sit eighth, 4.5 games out of the No. 6 spot to avoid the play-in tournament. Hard to see Brooklyn making that up considering Irving apparently isn't going to be playing in home games anytime soon despite a lifted NYC public COVID vaccine mandate next Monday and Simmons may not debut until late March/early April.

With all those guys healthy, though, I wouldn't bet against the Nets advancing to the final eight through the play-in tournament. It will depend where they finish in the regular season in regards to facing the top seed or No. 2 seed in the first round of the playoffs if they do advance.

Durant has been out with a sprained left MCL and the team cratered without him. The Nets were 27-15 and second in the East when Durant was injured. Brooklyn is 5-16, tied for 27th in the league, since then. Durant was the MVP betting favorite for a while, averaging 29.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists but will not win the award now. He would be third in the NBA in scoring if he qualified.

Nets center Andre Drummond is probable tonight after missing Tuesday's loss in Toronto. He's averaging 9.8 points and 10.2 rebounds in six games with the Nets after coming over from Philly in the Simmons trade.

Miami has not listed its official injury report as of this writing but is expected to again be without starting point guard Kyle Lowry for personal reasons. He has missed both games this week, an easy home win over Chicago on Monday and a 120-119 loss in Milwaukee on Wednesday. The Heat shockingly blew a 14-point lead in the final six minutes vs. the Bucks. Miami is 3-7 straight up in the second of a back-to-back this season.

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