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Kevin Durant's absence has continued to be a sore spot for the Phoenix Suns. With the team fighting to hold onto the fourth spot in the Western Conference standings, the organization is anxiously awaiting his return.
After being traded to Phoenix from the Brooklyn Nets last month, Durant injured himself during warmups, a video of which quickly went viral. As the former MVP glided towards the rim for a layup, he rolled his ankle on March 8. Although he was able to complete his warmup, he was a late scratch from the game.
Since then, he has yet to return to the court. This week, however, NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Durant, who has played only three games for Phoenix, could be looking to return by the end of the month:
“Kevin Durant is doing more and more on the court. I would expect more evaluations later this week. I think there will be potentially an update later this week and early next week when they re-evaluate him and see exactly how much progress he's made.
"Definitely there's optimism within the Suns that they're going to be cautious, but they are hopeful that he’s gonna be back in the lineup before the end of March, potentially early April.”
You can listen to the comments from Shams Charania below:
Phoenix Suns struggling without Kevin Durant
While the Phoenix Suns continue to sit in fourth place in a tight Western Conference race, the team finds itself on a two-game skid. After Kevin Durant made his Phoenix debut, putting up 23 points in 27 minutes, he kept the momentum rolling with two more big performances.
The most impressive was his March 5 showdown against former Brooklyn Nets teammate Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks. In over 40 minutes, Kevin Durant recorded 37 points on 12-of-17 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. In addition to the 37 points, Durant contributed seven rebounds and three assists as the Suns picked up a 130-126 win.
Unfortunately for both the Phoenix Suns and Kevin Durant, he has not played a game since then. Should he return at the end of the month, as Charania has reported, Durant will have just five regular-season games to get back into form before the playoffs begin.
With the the playoffs right around the corner, the team will need Durant to hit the ground running. Of course, should they avoid the play-in tournament, once their season ends on April 9, they'll have some time off.
Given that the Western Conference is incredibly stacked, the team's first-round matchup is sure to garner plenty of attention. With Durant eager to win another championship, and the Suns hoping to return to the NBA Finals, the former MVP will have to be at his best.
After dropping a crucial game against the LA Lakers 122-111 on Wednesday, Durant's return can't come soon enough.
