Kyrie Irving will miss a fourth straight game Friday, sidelined by a shoulder impingement.
Irving didn’t practice Thursday and won’t play against the Kings. After getting hurt on Nov. 12 in Utah, he played two days later in Denver. Kenny Atkinson admitted the guard aggravated the injury against the Nuggets, and he hasn’t suited up since.
The Nets have given no timetable for Irving’s return.
“He didn’t practice [Thursday], still getting a ton of treatment,” Atkinson said. “When it happened in Utah, I think the next thing was a big discussion whether he was going to play in Denver. He ends up playing.
“Again, that was collaborative. That wasn’t only just him; it was all of us kind of [saying], ‘We want to give this a shot.’ He played, and I think it was aggravated. After that, it’s just been, ‘Let’s just treat this thing on a daily basis.’ ”
A specialist who spoke with The Post said a shoulder impingement can be treated by oral anti-inflammatory medicine, physical therapy, an injection and anywhere from several days to a couple of weeks of rest.
The Nets said he hasn’t received any injection, and Friday marks a week since Irving has played.
The Nets visit the Knicks on Sunday, then have three games next week against Irving’s ex-teams: Monday in Cleveland, Wednesday in Boston followed by a rematch versus the Celtics. They’re unlikely to practice between now and that Nov. 29 game with the Celtics.
When asked whether Irving’s return is a matter of pain tolerance or range of motion, Atkinson said both.
“He’s got to get to the point where he feels like — and we feel like — he can play. We’re just not at that point right now,” Atkinson said. “I think it’s pain tolerance. I think it’s range of motion. I think those are both fair assessments.”
Jarrett Allen is probable (right ankle sprain).
Other than Irving’s shoulder, Atkinson can’t find another quibble with his guard. Despite a report by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith that he is “not hearing good things” about Irving’s attitude, Atkinson categorically denied any problems.
“He’s 100 percent wrong,” Atkinson said. “I give him an A-plus in terms of team, coaching staff, A-plus in his spirit, in his attitude, in his approach. Listen, quite honestly, when he was playing, there was nothing more I could ask from him. I think the guy played fantastic.
“And that’s not just scoring the ball — which he does, scoring it efficiently — but decision-making. And super competitive defensively; much better than I anticipated. From my standpoint, from the coaching standpoint, I give him an A-plus. He’s been great so far.”
It should be noted that Smith offered the disclaimer “people are putting stuff out there, I don’t think it’s fair, I don’t know how accurate it is.”