Kyrie Irving to miss at least one week with knee sprain

Brooklyn Nets’ guard Kyrie Irving suffered a medial left knee injury Friday night. The Nets say he will be re-evaluated in one week.

Brooklyn Nets’ guard Kyrie Irving missed the final five minutes and change during a 113-107 loss to the Washington Wizards Friday night after suffering a medial left knee sprain, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The injury occurred after Irving and Wizards’ guard Bradley Beal became entangled fighting for a rebound, which resulted in Irving’s knee becoming caught under a falling Beal. According to Charania, Iriving will be re-evaluated in one week.

The main ligament of the medial — or inner — knee is the medial collateral ligament (MCL). The job of the MCL is to help stabilize the knee against valgus forces, such as when an athlete is hit on the outside of the knee. The MCL is essentially a thickening of the tibiofemoral joint capsule — the ligamentous structure that surrounds the knee — and has two distinct parts: a superficial as well as a deep band of fibers. The deep fibers of the MCL attach to the medial meniscus, which often leads to concomitant meniscal injuries with severe MCL sprains.

Based on the wording of Charania’s report and the fact that Irving will be re-evaluated in one week, it is likely safe to assume that his injury falls on the mild end of the spectrum. Much like with other joint sprains or muscle strains, MCL injuries are graded on a scale of one to three; grade 1 MCL injuries occur when less than 10 percent of the ligament’s fibers have been ruptured and the meniscus is often spared.

Grade 3 MCL injuries occur when more than 50 percent of the fibers have been torn and surgery may be required for proper healing. Unlike the ACL, the MCL has relatively good blood flow, meaning that even grade 3 injuries may be able to recover without the need for surgery.

Rehabilitation, regardless of injury severity, often focuses on reducing pain, maintaining or gaining knee range of motion, and strengthening the muscles of the thighs, hips, and core. Athletes usually return to game action in one to four weeks after grade 1 MCL sprains.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first significant injury that Irving has suffered this season; he missed 26 games from November to January with right shoulder impingement. Irving has been limited to 20 games during his first campaign in Brooklyn and is averaging 27.4 points per game on 47.8%/39.4%/92.2% shooting splits

Irving signed a four-year, $136.5 million contract with Brooklyn during the off-season to team up with friend and former Golden State Warrior Kevin Durant; Durant will miss the entire 2019-20 season while recovering from a torn Achilles tendon.