Mar 30, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) drives against the Houston Rockets in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Suns Update Kevin Durant Injury

Originally posted on Phoenix Suns on SI | By Brendan Mau | Last updated Mar 31, 2025 12:05 PM ET

PHOENIX — Just as it looked like nothing could go worse for the Phoenix Suns in their 148-109 beatdown loss to the Houston Rockets, superstar forward Kevin Durant sprained his left ankle in the third quarter and did not return.

Coach Mike Budenholzer provided an update on Durant, who suffered his injury by stepping on Jabari Smith Jr.’s foot, postgame ahead of Phoenix's three-game road trip that begins Tuesday against the Milwaukee Bucks.

"We'll get an MRI on it tomorrow. He'll stay back (for the road trip) and we'll assess," Budenholzer said. (via PHNX's Gerald Bourguet).

Bud said he knows KD won't fly with the team to Milwaukee tomorrow, but beyond that, won't speculate on whether he'll rejoin the Suns on their upcoming road trip. Will depend on the results of the MRI
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) March 31, 2025

This means the Suns, now with a 35-40 record, will have to work their way back from 1.5 games out of the final Western Conference play-in spot with only seven games left without their leading scorer for at least the time being.

This will be a very tall task given that Phoenix still has the NBA’s most difficult remaining schedule and has lost three-straight games by a combined 84 points (average of 28 per game).

The Suns are also 2-11 on the year without Durant.

"Everybody has to step up, starting with myself," Suns star guard Devin Booker said of Durant's injury. "The exact opposite of what went down tonight. We have it in the locker room, and we just have to pull it out."

Durant needs to play in three more games to meet the NBA's 65-game threshold for regular-season awards, which include the three All-NBA teams that Durant would almost certainly find himself on.

The 36-year-old, 15-time All-Star is averaging the sixth-most points in the NBA this season at 26.6 on .527/.430/.839 splits to go along with 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 blocks.

After the Suns play the Bucks (40-34) on Tuesday, they conclude their road trip against the defending-champion Boston Celtics (55-19) Friday and New York Knicks (47-27) Sunday.

Phoenix cannot afford to lose Durant for a long period of time, and this might have just been the last straw for the Suns' disastrous 2024-25 season.

This article first appeared on Phoenix Suns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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