Skip to main content
Budenholzer in the dark over Durant injury
Written by Sports Desk. Posted in NBA. | 04 December 2024 | 287 Views
Tags: Basketball

Mike Budenholzer is unsure of the severity of the injury that forced Kevin Durant off during the Phoenix Suns' win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Durant left the court with 3:51 left to play in the second quarter of Tuesday's 104-93 victory at the Footprint Center.

He landed on his back after stepping on Julian Champagnie's foot as he rose to take a shot and was unable to continue, despite initially trying to.

The Suns later posted on X that 14-time NBA All-Star had sustained an ankle injury, but did not provide any further details.

Budenholzer is hoping to have more clarity on Wednesday, but accepts it is down to him to get his side to click even if Durant is facing a spell out.

"I think he stepped on somebody's foot in transition, and I think at half-time it stiffened up," Budenholzer said. 

"We will have to evaluate him again in the morning, see how he feels coming out of it, see how he does overnight. 

"But it's part of our league. We're not any different. There's not a team in the league that's not dealing with some in-and-out of the lineups. 

"Hopefully we teach and start to learn a way of playing that's good for everybody, regardless of who's healthy and who's not. 

"Other people have opportunities to get more minutes. So, we'll just see how Kevin is, and you've just got to keep playing."

Devin Booker scored 29 points as the Suns weathered the loss of Durant, who finished with 13 points – a game-high at the point of his departure.

Booker passed the 15,000 career points mark early in the contest, becoming the ninth-youngest player in NBA history to reach the milestone.

"All teams, at some point through the season, have to deal with it," Booker said of his team's injury problems. 

"I think it's a special time for more opportunities for other people to get a chance. 

"Because you never know what's going to happen later in the season or even the playoffs, to where you just have to figure it out."