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Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant suffered an ankle injury during Tuesday’s NBA Cup game against the San Antonio Spurs and is out for the remainder of the game.
Durant appeared to have suffered the injury while driving to the basket in the second quarter. He was fouled as he tried to take a shot before falling to the pitch and grabbing his ankle in pain.
Durant missed time earlier this season with a calf injury, breaking a long shelf life that stretched into last season when he appeared in 75 games.
It was an encouraging development for the future Hall of Famer to have played 75 games in the 2023-24 season, considering durability has been the only concern about his game of late. He ultimately missed the 2019–20 season and played 55 or fewer games over the next three seasons.
When healthy, Durant is still one of the NBA’s best players, averaging 26.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 53.2 percent from the field and Shoots 43.4 percent from deep.
The only real chance for Phoenix to compete for a strong playoff berth in the daunting Western Conference is if Durant and Devin Booker are healthy and on the court together. Therefore, any setback for either star is a matter of great concern.
The Suns struggled when Durant was sidelined with a calf injury and will need the combination of Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and Ryan Dunn to play well in his place if he is sidelined again after this latest setback.
