NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving is being held out of Monday’s matinee against the Philadelphia 76ers in the hope that resting his tight left hamstring will prevent another extended absence.
Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said that Irving first presented with the hamstring symptoms on Sunday. He underwent treatment to try to loosen the hamstring, Atkinson said. When Irving was still tight on Monday, the Nets quickly pulled him from the lineup.
“I don’t think you want tightness to go to a strain,” Atkinson said. “With these things you want to err on the side of caution.”
Irving has already missed 26 games this season with a right shoulder impingement.
The Nets have been plagued with so many injuries this year that Atkinson has a running joke about the need to bring his mother’s medical text books to his press conferences. The Nets are also without Wilson Chandler (left hamstring tightness), DeAndre Jordan (dislocated finger) and Kevin Durant (Achilles).