What happened to Kevin Durant? Latest injury update after exiting game vs Rockets (Mar. 30)
The Phoenix Suns’ push for a play-in spot took a major hit as Kevin Durant suffered a troubling left ankle injury after stepping on Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr.’s foot during a drive in the third quarter of their matchup on Sunday.
Durant rolled his ankle upon landing and was forced to exit the game, unable to return. Struggling to put weight on his left leg, he had to be helped off the court by his teammates, while Oso Ighodaro stepped in to take his free throws.
Watch the play below.
The Suns have yet to provide an official diagnosis, but Durant’s exit came with the team already down by 30 points and on track for their 40th loss, putting them 1.5 games behind the 10th seed currently held by the Sacramento Kings.
The two-time NBA champion had 11 points and seven rebounds on 5-for-11 shooting before the injury.
This season, Durant has already dealt with calf, ankle and thumb injuries but continues to lead the Suns in scoring (26.8 points per game) and blocks (1.3 per game) while ranking in the top five across multiple categories, including minutes, field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage, rebounds and assists.
Suns face NBA’s toughest remaining schedule as Kevin Durant’s status remains uncertain
According to Tankathon, the Phoenix Suns face the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA based on opponents’ winning percentage.
Following their game against Houston, they embark on a three-game Eastern Conference road trip against the Milwaukee Bucks (April 1), Boston Celtics (April 4) and New York Knicks (April 6).
They will then return home for a three-game homestand from April 8-11, hosting the Golden State Warriors, OKC Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
The regular season finale will take place against the Sacramento Kings on April 13.
For comparison, the two teams ahead of Phoenix (35-40) in the play-in race, the Kings (36-38) and Dallas Mavericks (37-38), have significantly easier schedules, ranking 13th and 14th in difficulty, per Tankathon.
Sacramento still has matchups against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets, while Dallas will face the LA Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies and have two games left against the LA Clippers.