Suns Make Troubling Kevin Durant Announcement After Injury vs. Rockets..
It was a bad day at the office for the Phoenix Suns. They suffered their third straight loss on Sunday, which came in the form of an embarrassing 148-109 home loss against the Houston Rockets at PHX Arena. Unfortunately, that was not the worst bit of news for Phoenix. Kevin Durant was unable to finish the game after rolling his ankle pretty badly in the third quarter. After heading into the locker room, the Suns revealed that the former MVP would not be able to return to the game. Phoenix head coach Mike Budenholzer spoke to reporters after the game, and as expected, one of the biggest questions he faced centered around Durant’s status moving forward. Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) against the Milwaukee Bucks. © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Budenholzer announced that the Suns have decided to leave Durant in Phoenix ahead of their upcoming three-game road trip, per team beat reporter Duane Rankin of AZ Central. Moreover, the 15-time All-Star is expected to undergo an MRI on Monday morning to determine the severity of his ankle injury. The fact that the Suns have already ruled Durant out for the next three games without having determined the full extent of the injury could be considered a pretty troubling development. Phoenix will likely provide an official update once his test results come back on Monday, but it’s not looking very good at this point. It is important to note that the Suns are battling for the 10th and final Play-In spot in the West. After Sunday’s loss, they are now 1.5 games outside the Play-In picture with seven games remaining, and potentially without Durant for an extended stretch.
Suns set embarrassing NBA record after blowout loss to Rockets
The Suns couldn’t defend their home court at all in the last two contests.
Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns suffered a brutal loss in Sunday’s game against the Houston Rockets.
The Suns fell in a 39-point blowout, unable to keep up with the Rockets on both sides of the ball. It also didn’t help that Houston shot lights out from the field, converting 57.1% of their total attempts to go along with a 58.1% success rate from beyond the arc.
It was a third consecutive blowout loss for Phoenix, with two of those coming at home. In fact, the Suns have been outscored by an embarrassing 69 points in their last two home games. Phoenix lost to the Boston Celtics 132-102 last week and also suffered a 124-109 road loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in between the two home disasters.
What’s next for Suns after loss to Rockets
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) drives on Houston Rockets guard Aaron Holiday (0) in the first half at Footprint Center.
Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
The 148-109 blowout loss to the Rockets will be tough for Devin Booker’s Suns to swallow, especially after suffering their latest injury.
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Suns’ Mike Budenholzer and Kevin Durant with medical red cross symbol behind them
Suns’ Mike Budenholzer provides Kevin Durant injury update after loss to Rockets
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Stephen A Smith and the Suns logo with angry emojis around them
Stephen A. Smith ruthlessly calls out Suns’ lackluster effort vs. Rockets
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Dillon Brooks, Kevin Durant, Stephen A Smith, Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns logos, eyes symbols
Stephen A. Smith weighs in on Dillon Brooks’ ejection for Kevin Durant altercation
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Kevin Durant in a Suns jersey with medical signs around him.
Suns’ Kevin Durant leaves game vs. Rockets with apparent ankle injury
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Kevin Durant sustained an ankle sprain in the second half and was unable return for the remainder of the game. He will later have an MRI to determine a recovery timetable, potentially sidelining him for the next few games.
Three players scored in double digits for the Suns. Booker led the way with 28 points, three rebounds and three assists. He shot 12-of-17 from the field, including 1-of-4 from beyond the arc. Durant left the game with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Monte Morris provided 10 points and two assists.
Phoenix fell to a 35-40 record on the season, staying at the 11th spot of the Western Conference standings. They are 1.5 games behind the Sacramento Kings and two games behind the Dallas Mavericks, entering the danger zone of missing the play-in tournament.
Following Sunday’s loss to the Rockets, the Suns will look to bounce back in their next matchup on the road. They face the Milwaukee Bucks on April 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Editor’s Note: This story initially referenced a report claiming the Suns’ combined 69-point margin of defeat over the last two home games was a record, but that doesn’t appear to actually be the case. The story has been updated to fix the error.
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