Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant is progressing towards a return to the court as soon as Wednesday, according to NBA Insider Shams Charania of The Athletic. Durant has been sidelined since a pregame incident saw him roll his ankle before a March 8 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Durant’s return to the court is coming at a crucial time for Phoenix. The Suns currently find themselves in fourth place in the Western Conference Standings but remain just two games ahead of the No.7-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. Durant has played in his three games for the Suns since being acquired from the Brooklyn Nets. In those three games, Phoenix has a 3-0 record with Durant averaging 26.7 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 69.0% from the field.
Suns Superstar Kevin Durant Eyes Return Next Week
When Durant has been on the court, the Suns have looked to have all of the makings of a potential NBA Finals contender. Phoenix is preparing for a crucial Friday night matchup against the Sacramento Kings. A game that could have monumental implications when it comes to potential seeding ahead of the NBA playoffs.
Phoenix has played in cautious with their newly acquired superstar. After Durant’s injury, the Suns haven’t wanted to rush back their superstar as they hope to have KD healthy for an extended playoff run.
But the Suns also realize the importance of the final stretch of regular season games. Phoenix has won just two of their last seven games. They are coming off two consecutive losses, including Wednesday night’s road loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Phoenix has also been shorthanded as big man Deandre Ayton has missed the last two games after suffering a right hip contusion on March 16 against the Orlando Magic.
Phoenix Looks to Get Durant Back to Prepare for Playoffs
The Suns have just ten games remaining for the rest of the 2022-23 season. With the Western Conference standings so close, Phoenix knows that they must end the season on a high note to prevent challenging matchups early in the playoffs.
It’s also crucial for the Suns to get Durant on the court for chemistry. While Durant is a superstar player, the rest of the roster still needs to get familiar with playing with each other. If Durant does return to the lineup on Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, it would give the team seven games to get familiar with each other before the grind of the playoffs.
With Durant out of the lineup, the team has had to lean on the play of superstar Devin Booker. He’s been nothing short of spectacular, but the Suns will need someone to step up to compliment Booker until Durant’s return. In his last five games, Booker has averaged 32.0 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 56.5% from the field.
Phoenix will now have some excitement to build off of, knowing that their dangerous superstar has a set date to return. Until then, the Suns will have to focus on taking care of business with a challenging set of upcoming games on slate. The Suns will take on the red hot Sacramento Kings on Friday night on the last game of their three-game road trip. After that, the team will have a quick turnaround as the Philadelphia 76ers are set to come to town this Saturday.