At tonight's game, after tabloids highlight injuries to stars, Brooklyn Nets face a surprising test

Never underestimate the power of the tabloids to shape public consciousness, and never underestimate the reliance of the tabs on easy storylines.

So, Kyrie Irving was injuried in the Brooklyn Nets' loss Sunday to the Milwaukee Bucks, who evened the playoff series to 2-2.

That left Kevin Durant as the team's lone superstar, given the previous injury to James Harden.

As shown at right, the New York Daily News went with "1 is Nets' Loneliest Number" on their back cover.

Meanwhile, the New York Post, on their back cover, went with "In a Jam," as shown at left.

Wait--the Post even put the game result on their front page, as shown below right, giving the result the top half--not even the bottom!-- with the headline "Ky and dry."

The Daily News coverage called it "the Nets’ worst nightmare," given that "the Nets have devolved from juggernauts into jugger-nots."

The post-game drama, as the New York Times reported, involved questions for coach Steve Nash about whether Harden could, in fact, return for game 5, at home tonight in Brooklyn, at Barclays Center.

News about a star

That is not to be--though Harden did make some news yesterday, joining the board of Saks Fifth Avenue and making a minority investment in the company.

To quote NetsDaily:

This is an exciting opportunity for me to combine two of my personal passions – a love of fashion and joining a brand with potential to impact community,” said Harden. “I look forward to working with the Saks team, and to having a direct impact on the company’s future success, the fashion community and its customers.”.

“As we work to build this new board, James is an important and valuable addition,” Saks CEO Richard Baker said. “With experience in growing businesses and as someone who values self-expression through fashion, I am confident that he will bring a distinct point of view that will help us better deliver for our customers. His expertise, combined with that of our other board members, will enable Saks to further capitalize on the significant growth opportunity within luxury e-commerce.”

Well, Harden is a fashionable guy, and he makes north of $40 million a year from basketball alone, so why shouldn't he get immersed in a company like Saks, along with his other endorsement deals, according to Forbes, which include Adidas, Beats Electronics, BodyArmor, goPuff, Shanghai Pudong Development (a bank), State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance.

Tonight's game

As Rob Mahoney wrote yesterday in The Ringer, Kyrie’s Injury Resets Nets-Bucks and Puts All Eyes on Kevin Durant.

The tabloid drama continues. As shown at left, the back of the New York Post shows Durant alone, as a "1 Man Band."

And, as shown at right, the back of the New York Daily News dubs Durant "Mr. Brooklyn," saying the team's hopes rest on his performance--true enough, though the team also must get the role players involved.

Extra points to the Daily News for its closer-up image of Durant, which highlights the two sponsors' logos on the Nets' uniforms, from Nike (the league uniform sponsor) and from Motorola (the team sponsor).

It's a business.