Phoenix Suns fear Kevin Durant could miss rest of regular season with ankle injury
Kevin Durant missed another opportunity at a home debut after injuring his ankle in a pregame slip; according to the latest reports from within the Phoenix Suns organisation, he could miss the rest of regular season and potentially the start of the playoffs
Thursday 9 March 2023 15:01, UK
Kevin Durant could miss the rest of the regular season after suffering an ankle sprain in the warmup ahead of the Phoenix Suns' game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to reports.
Video showed the 13-time All-Star driving to the basket 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 Durant would miss the game.
The former Brooklyn Nets star would have been playing his home debut for the Suns. Instead, he sat on the sidelines, with Torrey Craig taking his place as his team-mates secured a 132-101 win over their opposition.
Durant was then spotted wearing a walking boot, sparking concerns about his status moving forward. According to the latest reports, there are concerns within the Suns organisation he might have a grade two sprain and could miss the remainder of the regular season and potentially the start of the playoffs.
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It's likely scans in the upcoming days will reveal the true extent of the injury, with the franchise bracing for the worst.
Suns coach Monty Williams said after the game: "We'll get more testing done tomorrow. Right now, it's just an ankle sprain.
"We just have to wait and see...we'll probably get some more imaging to make sure everybody is on the same page.
"He's out there, working his tail off, getting ready for the game and twists his ankle," Williams said. "I felt bad for him because he feels bad."
It might have felt even more compounding given how well Durant has performed for the Suns. He's already averaged 26.7 points and 7.3 rebounds in his three games with Phoenix. Alongside Devin Booker and Chris Paul, they have presented a formidable frontcourt equation.
The slip, however, was a reminder that the 34-year-old has missed a lot of time with injuries over the past four seasons. 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, is possibly worse than initially imagined.
Fortunately, the Suns, with a 37-29 record for fourth in the West, are in a good spot in the conference and are unlikely to fall out of the top six. This means they can certainly focus on getting Durant the treatment he needs, but if this means he misses part of the playoff run, they will be contesting without one of the best players in the league.
