Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant to undergo tests on injured ankle as home debut delayed | NBA News

Kevin Durant sprained his ankle as he warmed up ahead of the Phoenix Suns’ all-Western Conference clash with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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 that 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 teammates secured a 132-101 win over their opposition.

Suns coach Monty Williams was able to provide further insight after the game, saying “we’ll get more testing done tomorrow. Right now, it’s just an ankle sprain”.

“We just have to wait and see how he responds to treatment and we’ll probably get some more imaging to make sure everybody is on the same page.”

Durant was spotted wearing a walking boot, sparking concerns about his status moving forward.

“He’s out there, working his tail off, getting ready for the game and twists his ankle,” Williams said. “You can’t get frustrated about that. It’s life, you know what I’m saying? 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, they’ve presented a formidable frontcourt equation.

“I know how much he loves to play and wanted to play,” guard Chris Paul said. “But stuff happens.”

The slip 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.

Fortunately for Williams’ team, they can afford to give Durant all the time he needs to return to 100 percent.

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 ready for the playoffs and operating at peak efficiency.