Suns’ Durant out with ankle injury, re-evaluated in 3 weeks

The 13-time All-Star slipped on the floor during pregame warmups while getting ready for the team's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Associated Press

Mar 10, 2023

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns say Kevin Durant has a sprained left ankle after slipping on the floor during pregame warmups Wednesday night and will be re-evaluated in three weeks.

The hope was the 34-year-old star wouldn’t miss much time because of the unlucky mishap, but now it appears he’ll be out until April.

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant interacts with a fan during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks, Sunday, March 5, 2023, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

If that’s the case, the Suns will have just five more games until the playoffs start.

Durant has played in just three games — all on the road — since coming to the Suns in a blockbuster trade deadline deal that sent Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and other draft compensation to the Brooklyn Nets.

The 13-time All-Star slipped on the floor during pregame warmups while getting ready for the team’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was supposed to be his home debut.

Video showed Durant driving to the basket during warmups when he rolled his left ankle as he jumped. He immediately hopped up and continued his pregame work, but several minutes later, the Suns confirmed that Durant would miss the game.

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The Suns won anyway, beating the Thunder 132-101 behind Devin Booker’s 44-point night.

The Suns have looked like a juggernaut in the three games Durant has played, winning all of them. The talented starting lineup also included Chris Paul, Booker, Deandre Ayton.

But the latest injury is a reminder that Durant has missed a lot of time with injuries over the past four seasons.

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Durant was out the entire 2019-20 campaign because of an Achilles injury. He has missed time this season with a sprained knee ligament.

Now, an ankle injury.

“He’s out there, working his tail off, getting ready for the game and twists his ankle,” Suns coach Monty Williams said after Wednesday’s game. “You can’t get frustrated about that. It’s life, you know what I’m saying? I felt bad for him because he feels bad.”

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