-
Shams Charania, ESPN
Phoenix Suns All-NBA forward Kevin Durant is expected to miss one to two weeks after sustaining a left ankle sprain, sources told ESPN.
Durant suffered the injury while landing on a San Antonio Spurs player’s foot in the Suns’ victory Tuesday night.
The Suns will now play at least one week without Durant, who led Phoenix to an 8-1 start before suffering a calf strain on Nov. 8. Durant returned on Nov. 26, and the Suns have gone 3-1 with him back in the lineup.
Durant is averaging 25.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting 53.6% from the field and 44.9% from 3-point range this season.
Phoenix is 11-2 this season with Durant — and 1-6 without him. Suns star guard Bradley Beal missed five of the seven games Durant did last month, but he is now healthy and will team with Devin Booker for these next stretch of games.
Sprinting downcourt in transition with 4:30 left in the second quarter Tuesday, Durant drove to the basket and attempted to cut between Spurs defenders Julian Champagnie and Devin Vassell. Durant stepped on Champagnie’s left foot as he rose to take a shot.
Durant immediately fell to the floor, landing flat on his back before grabbing at his left ankle. He remained on the court and made the ensuing free throws before leaving the game 22 seconds later. He returned briefly for the start of the third quarter before walking to the locker room.
“It’s part of our league,” Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said after the game. “We’re not any different. There’s not a team in the league that’s not dealing with some in-and-out of the lineups, and hopefully we teach and start to learn a way of playing that’s good for everybody, regardless of who’s healthy and who’s not. Other people have opportunities to get more minutes. So, we’ll just see how Kevin is, and you’ve just got to keep playing.”
The Suns (12-8) begin a four-game road trip on Thursday in New Orleans against the Pelicans.
ESPN’s Michael C. Wright contributed to this report.
Source: www.espn.com