After a hot start to the season, injuries have taken a toll on the Suns. An injury to Kevin Durant, in particular, has left Phoenix with a superstar-sized void to fill nightly, but relief could soon be on the way.
With Durant in the lineup to open the season, the Suns won eight of their first nine games. Since Durant has been out with a strained left calf, Phoenix has dropped six of seven games and holds a 9-7 record ahead of an NBA Cup matchup with the Lakers on Tuesday.
Will Durant be in action vs. LA? Here is the latest on the superstar’s availability after missing more than two weeks with his injury.
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The official injury report for Tuesday’s game has not been released but Durant plans to return Tuesday against the Lakers, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic also reported that members of the Suns felt Durant “looked good” during five-on-five at Suns practice, a major step toward clearing him to return.
The Suns are approaching the midway point of a six-game homestand. Phoenix’s lack of travel over the next week could be beneficial in easing Durant back into the lineup after over two weeks of downtime.
In addition to Durant, the Suns hope to welcome Bradley Beal back into the lineup. Beal is also dealing with a calf issue and has missed each of Phoenix’s last five games.
This season, Durant is averaging 27.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 55.3 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from 3-point range and 83.6 percent from the charity stripe.
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Here are the next five games on Phoenix’s schedule:
Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV channel |
Nov. 26 | vs. Lakers (NBA Cup) | 10 p.m. | TNT |
Nov. 27 | vs. Nets | 9 p.m. | — |
Nov. 30 | vs. Warriors | 9 p.m. | NBA TV |
Dec. 3 | vs. Spurs (NBA Cup) | 9 p.m. | — |
Dec. 5 | at Pelicans | 8 p.m. | — |
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