Injured Kevin Durant praises Devin Booker's huge scoring milestone
Kevin Durant was like every fan last night as he watched his teammate, Devin Booker, make history during Tuesday night's NBA Cup 104-93 win over the Phoenix Suns. Durant, who suffered a left ankle sprain during the game, tweeted about the historic moment, praising Booker for scoring his 15,000th career point at a relatively young age.
"15k at 28…my dog checkin boxes. Congrats @DevinBook, more on the way"
With Durant's early exit, Booker led the Suns with a game-high 29 points, nine rebounds and five assists, while shooting 47.6% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. Booker became the ninth youngest player in NBA history to achieve the milestone, placing him alongside some of the game's greatest players.
A veteran at just 28, Booker has spent his entire 10-year career with the Phoenix Suns after being drafted 13th overall out of Kentucky in the 2015 NBA Draft. With Booker, the Suns have made the playoffs in each of the previous four years, including last season's sweep at the hands of an Anthony Edward-led Minnesota Timberwolves.
After a bright start this season, the Suns lost five in a row between Nov. 13-20. However, their win over the Spurs last night extended their current winning streak to two games, and they will look to make it three in a row when they visit the struggling New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday, Nov. 5.
Kevin Durant suffers early injury exit against San Antonio Spurs
Kevin Durant was forced to exit early from the Suns' Tuesday Emirates NBA Cup game against the Spurs. He left the game during the second quarter of the game and the Suns revealed that he had hurt his ankle.
Kevin Durant got injured when he mistakenly stepped on the foot of the opposition player, Julian Champagnie's foot, in the second quarter. At the end of the game, Suns coach Mike Budenholzer spoke about the injury, revealing it was too early to make an assessment until he had been fully evaluated.
“He stepped on somebody’s foot in transition, and at halftime, it stiffened up. We’ll have to evaluate him in the morning and see how he feels, see how he does overnight,” Coach Budenholzer said.
The two-time NBA champion ended the game with 13 points, four rebounds, and two assists in 16 minutes of gameplay. This season, he is averaging 25.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game.