Is Kevin Durant playing against the Clippers? Latest injury update on Suns star ahead of matchup (April 16, 2023)

The first round of the playoffs for Kevin Durant and the Suns are set to begin today (Sunday, April 16). He will be matching up against one of the elite small forwards in Kawhi Leonard and his former OKC Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook.

In a star-studded series, one of the things fans watch out for are injuries and the availability of these All-Stars.

Kevin Durant looks to lead his team to a victory to start off their playoff run.

Durant was able to return to action on March 28 against Minnesota after sustaining a left ankle sprain in a shootaround during the ball game against the OKC Thunder on March 8.

The Suns star's availability for Game 1 is great news for Phoenix fans as his injury initially looked serious and could have resulted in further recovery time. But with Durant set to suit up against Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook, NBA fans are in for a treat.

Kevin Durant's impressive record with the Suns

Durant was acquired by the Phoenix organization on February 9 as they packaged Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and four unprotected future first-round picks.

In his debut against the Charlotte Hornets on March 1, he dropped an efficient 23 points on 66.7% shooting as the Suns went on to win two-straight games before his injury.

Upon his return after injury, the Suns won five-straight games as the team never lost a game when Durant was available to hoop. The Suns are 8-0 with Kevin Durant playing as he averaged 26 points on 57% shooting, 6.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

The Phoenix Suns have an offensive rating of 121.0 with Durant playing. They drop to 110.0 when he isn't available.