NEW YORK (AFP) ‒ Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant is poised to return from injury this week but teammate James Harden faces 10 days on the sidelines after suffering a right hamstring strain, the team announced Tuesday.
The Nets listed Durant as a “probable” to play against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday in what would be his first game since February 13.
However the announcement of Durant’s return coincided with confirmation that Harden will miss several games with a hamstring problem.
“James Harden underwent an MRI earlier today which revealed a right hamstring strain,” the Nets said in a statement. “Harden will continue to rehab the hamstring and will be re-evaluated in approximately 10 days.”
Harden was removed from the court after only four minutes in the Nets win over the New York Knicks on Monday after complaining of a tight right hamstring.
The 31-year-old point guard was making his return after missing the Nets previous two games with the same problem.
Tiger Woods in ‘decent spirits’
AUGUSTA (AFP) – Tiger Woods is in “decent spirits” at home recovering from serious leg injuries in a February car crash but his absence from the Masters is keenly felt by friendly rivals.
Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and second-ranked Justin Thomas, both expected to contend starting Thursday at Augusta National, visited Woods at his South Florida home since he went there from the hospital last month.
Woods, a 15-time major winner and five-time Masters champion, would have been at Tuesday’s Masters Champions Dinner ‒ hosted by top-ranked defending champion Dustin Johnson ‒ if he were not at home recovering.
Not yet time to rename Maracana to Pele Stadium
RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) – The Rio de Janeiro state legislature backed down Tuesday from plans to rename Brazil’s iconic Maracana stadium for football legend Pele, after the proposal triggered controversy.
In an unusual move, legislative speaker Andre Ceciliano, who sponsored the bill, asked interim governor Claudio Castro to veto rather than sign it.
After lawmakers voted on March 9 to change the stadium’s official name to “Edson Arantes do Nascimento – Rei Pele” to honor the three-time world champion, critics questioned why they were spending their time on such matters in the middle of a raging health crisis in Brazil, hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
“My intention was to pay tribute to the king of football, the best player of all time. But the Maracana will always be called the Maracana,” said Ceciliano, of the left-wing Workers’ Party (PT).
