Kevin Durant, the Phoenix Suns‘ All-Star forward, was forced to exit Sunday night’s game against the Houston Rockets after suffering a left ankle injury. The incident occurred with 6:57 remaining in the third quarter when Durant collided with Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr.
Durant helped off court after painful fall
Smith was called for a foul under Phoenix’s basket, but Durant remained on the floor, visibly in pain. The 6-foot-10 star eventually stood up but was unable to put weight on his left leg. Footage suggested that Durant accidentally stepped on Smith’s foot during the fall.
Suns confirm MRI for Durant, no travel plans for Bucks matchup
Following the Suns’ 148-109 loss to the Rockets, head coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed Durant will undergo an MRI on Monday to assess the extent of the injury. The Suns also announced that Durant will not travel with the team for their upcoming game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Playoff hopes in jeopardy for Phoenix
With only two weeks remaining and six games left in the regular season, the Suns face a tough battle to secure a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament. They currently trail the Dallas Mavericks by two games. Losing Durant for any extended period would be a major blow to their playoff hopes.
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Durant’s impact before the injury
Before his exit, Durant played 23 minutes, scoring 11 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Earlier this season, the 2014 MVP made history by climbing to eighth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
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