With Kevin Durant Out 1-2 Weeks, Can The Suns Stay Consistent?

Fourteen-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant left the Phoenix Suns’ game against the Spurs Tuesday night with a left ankle sprain and will miss one to two weeks.

Durant was injured when he stepped on the foot of the Spurs’ Julian Champagnie while driving to the basket. He stayed on the court for another 22 seconds of play, making his free throws, before heading to the locker room for the remaining four minutes of the second quarter.

Durant, 36, led the Suns to an 8-1 start in his second season in Phoenix before suffering a calf strain on November 8 which sidelined him for seven games. The team went 1-6 in his absence before winning three of four since his return.

Durant is Phoenix’s leading scorer at an average of 25.8 points per game this season. He exited Tuesday’s game with 13 points, four rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes.

Suns coach Mike Buldenhozer expressed cautious optimism, saying that other players would have opportunities for more minutes as the team continued to play.

“There’s not a team in the league that’s not dealing with some in-and-out of the lineups, and hopefully we teach and start to learn a way of playing that’s good for everybody, regardless of who’s healthy and who’s not,” said Buldenhozer. “So, we’ll just see how Kevin is, and you’ve just got to keep playing.”

Suns guard Bradley Beal also missed five of the seven games Durant was out in November with a calf injury, all losses. Beal is averaging 33 minutes per game, contributing 17.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. With him back in the lineup, Phoenix hopes it can continue to win absent its top scorer.

After Durant exited the game, the Suns went on to beat the Spurs, 104-93, advancing to 12-8 on the season. They begin a four-game road trip on Thursday against New Orleans.