TORONTO - It wasnt until practice let out that Raptors players learned about the news sending shockwaves around the NBA early Sunday afternoon. Terry OReilly Bruins Jersey . Kevin Durant, the leagues reigning MVP, could be sidelined for up to eight weeks with a right foot fracture that may require surgery. The Raptors were already in the gym as word of the injury spread over social media. Its very tough, man, its very tough, said Raptors guard Greivis Vasquez, a good friend and high school teammate of Durant, as he processed the information. I didnt know about KD, I just found out and Im going to pray for him and hopefully he comes back even stronger. Durant is just the latest star player to sustain a significant injury before the start of the upcoming regular season. Wizards talented third-year guard Bradley Beal broke his wrist in an exhibition contest last week, an injury that required surgery and will keep him out of action for roughly two months. Celtics all-star point guard Rajon Rondo broke his hand in a freak accident at home. And then theres Paul George, whose gruesome leg injury in a Team USA scrimmage over the summer will cost him his entire season. Its just hard, Vasquez added. Our sport is very physical and injuries are part of the sport, unfortunately. The NBA is going to continue. Like many others around the Association, Raptors head coach Dwane Casey has taken notice and plans to exercise caution before the stakes rise at the end of the month. Were going to be smart with it, Casey said Sunday, promising to monitor the minutes of his prized backcourt - DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry - closely for the duration of the pre-season. The list of recently fallen star players serves as further proof that injury prevention is not a simple proposition. High performance athletes, like anyone else really, can get hurt anywhere, at any time, whether its the result of overexertion or simply bad luck. You can slip down the stairs and hurt yourself, DeRozan noted. The Raptors were fortunate with good health a year ago, losing just 52 games to injury or illness, fewest in the NBA. While Torontos training and medical staff, one of the leagues finest, deserve credit there are far too many variables - some of them luck dependent - to count on that good fortune repeating itself in 2014-15. For a team with their sights set on April and May, the risk of setting an impact player back before games begin to matter is just not worth it. You can work hard but weve got to be smart in making sure we are efficient with [their] minutes on the floor, said Casey. That way [they] maintain that rhythm offensively and also establishes our defensive identity but we dont want to wear out everything in exhibition, especially with the guys who are going to have high minutes in regular season play. Both of Torontos starting guards logged career-highs in minutes played last season. Only two players, Durant and the Mavericks Monta Ellis, saw more court time than DeRozan. By late March, Casey and his staff were forced to cut back on Lowrys minutes as the aches and pains of a long season began to catch up with him. Meanwhile, DeRozan - coming off a busy summer, playing for USA in the FIBA World Cup - hasnt had much time for rest since the Raptors were eliminated in seven games during the first round of the playoffs. Looking to be in mid-season form, theyve each hit the ground running in exhibition but, through three games, Lowry is playing just over 26 minutes per night and DeRozan has logged an average of 22. The Raptors will be halfway through their eight-game pre-season slate following Mondays contest in New York. Casey intends to utilize the next couple weeks to experiment with different lineups, take a look at some of the teams younger players and, hopefully, manufacture some much-needed rest for his two workhorses. He didnt rule out the possibility of giving them a night off before the regular season gets underway on Oct. 29, at home to the Atlanta Hawks. Patrice Bergeron Bruins Jersey . Louis second-period goal increased the New York Rangers lead but Dustin Brown has countered for the Los Angeles Kings who now trail the New York Rangers 2-1 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final at Madison Square Garden. Chris Wagner Bruins Jersey . The 17-year-old had four goals and four assists in 38 games for Liberec in the Czech pro league this past season. Zacha had three goals and two assists in seven games at the world mens under-18 championship in April when the Czech Republic took the silver medal. http://www.thebostonbruinshockey.com/david-backes-hockey-jersey/ .J. - Percy Harvin is ready to go, and theres no question in his mind hell be playing Sunday.ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota Wild centre Mikael Granlund likely will return to action for the playoffs, after a hit to the head kept him out for the last six games of the regular season. Coach Mike Yeo said after practice Tuesday that Granlund "looks good and feels good" after missing the last two weeks. The Wild play at Colorado on Thursday in Game 1 of their first-round series. Granlund would return to the second line, between Matt Moulson and Jason Pominville. Jakub Zboril Bruins Jersey. The 22-year-old had a breakout season with eight goals and 33 assists in 63 games. Goalie Darcy Kuemper practiced with the team Tuesday for the first time since he suffered an upper-body injury in the pregame skate March 31 at Los Angeles, the same day Granlund was hurt. Kuemper would back up Ilya Bryzgalov. ' ' '