Kevin Durant sprained his left ankle in the third quarter of the Phoenix Suns’ 148-109 loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
The 36-year-old superstar was driving to the basket against Jabari Smith Jr. when his ankle landed on Smith’s foot. His ankle turned and he immediately fell to the floor. He couldn’t put any weight on his left leg when he got up.
An MRI is scheduled for Monday and he will not be traveling with the team to Milwaukee for its next game.
The Suns are starting a three-game East coast road trip Tuesday that includes the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks.
Phoenix is 35-40 on the season, 1.5 games behind the Sacramento Kings for the 10th and final Play-In Tournament spot.
Kevin Durant left the game after injuring his ankle on this play. pic.twitter.com/OUJ3YmZO7I
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 31, 2025
Durant’s Injury Puts Writing On Suns’ Wall?
It appears a miracle will be necessary to make the Play-In Tournament, let alone the playoffs from here.
Yes, they have the toughest remaining schedule of any team on the surface and the odds are against them.
However, it shouldn’t be ruled out. The Bucks are without Damian Lillard and Bobby Portis and the New York Knicks will be without Jalen Brunson.
When the Suns take on Oklahoma City on Apr. 9, it’s plausible the Thunder go into rest mode and don’t feature their stars ahead of the postseason.
Sacramento, meanwhile, finishes its season with a stretch of games that includes the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Clippers.
That’s followed by what could be a win-to-get-in scenario against the Suns on the final day of the season.
The Mavs, meanwhile, has two games against the Clippers, one blockbuster against the L.A. Lakers with Doncic returning to Dallas for the first time, and the Memphis Grizzlies to finish. They will need to take care of business against the Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks, and Toronto Raptors.
Last We’ve Seen Of Durant In A Suns Jersey?
While we wait on a formal diagnosis of Durant’s ankle sprain, it’s also possible we’ve seen the last of him in Suns jersey.
The Suns tried shopping Durant at the trade deadline to get under the second apron with a team that has fallen well short of expectations. Durant had no intention of having to move midway through the season but there now appears to be friction between the two sides.
Many expect Durant to move on in the summer, and if the Suns don’t make the postseason, it’s quite possible Durant prioritizes his health down the stretch.
