Brooklyn Nets say Kevin Durant diagnosed with sprained MCL

After having an MRI,  Kevin Durant has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL in his left knee, the Brooklyn Nets announced Sunday morning.

The Nets did not disclose an estimated timetable for their star forward's return, only saying he "is expected to return to full strength following a period of rehabilitation" and that updates would be "provided as appropriate."

A source told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, however, that there is optimism within the Nets that it will be a four-to-six-week rehab and return for Durant. The Nets come out of the All-Star break on Feb. 24 and that's a realistic benchmark for a Durant return.

Durant suffered the injury in the second quarter of the Nets' 120-105 victory over the Pelicans on Saturday as Pelicans guard Herb Jones drove to the basket and collided with Nets guard Bruce Brown, who fell backward into Durant, who was standing behind the play.

The injury overshadows what had been a strong return for the former MVP, who sat out the loss Thursday to the Oklahoma City Thunder to rest. In 12 minutes Saturday, Durant had 12 points, three rebounds and two assists before leaving the game.

Durant leads the NBA in scoring with a 29.3 points per game average.

ESPN's Nick Friedell contributed to this report.