Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant exited early from Tuesday’s Emirates NBA Cup matchup against the San Antonio Spurs due to a left ankle injury. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the All-Star will be sidelined for at least one week and will be re-evaluated at that time.
Durant left the game with 3:51 remaining in the second quarter of the Suns’ 104-93 victory and did not return. He walked to the locker room under his own power, with the Suns later confirming he had sustained an ankle injury but providing no further details. In his brief appearance, Durant recorded 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, along with four rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes.
The injury occurred when Durant stepped on the foot of San Antonio’s Julian Champagnie while preparing to shoot, with 4:30 left in the second quarter. He departed the game just 39 seconds later.
Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer commented on the situation after the game, stating that it was too early to determine if Durant would miss additional time.
“He stepped on somebody’s foot in transition, and at halftime it stiffened up,” Budenholzer said. “We’ll have to evaluate him in the morning and see how he feels, see how he does overnight.”
This season, Durant has played in 13 of the Suns’ 20 games, having previously missed time from November 10 to November 20 due to a left calf strain. The Suns have a record of 11-2 with Durant in the lineup, compared to 1-6 without him.
At 36 years old, Durant is averaging 25.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game this season. The Suns, who did not qualify for the NBA Cup’s Knockout Rounds, will begin a three-game road trip on Thursday against the New Orleans Pelicans.
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