Durant supplied 23 points (8-19 FG, 7-7 FT), five rebounds, five assists and one block in 37 minutes during Thursday's 125-100 loss to the Nuggets in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Durant led an anemic Suns offense in this game, but his efforts were not enough to lead Phoenix to a decisive Game 7. Durant was healthy during the entire playoff run, and there's no question that was positive given all the injury woes that plagued him throughout the campaign, but he couldn't carry the Suns to a title, which was the main reason Phoenix acquired him before the trade deadline in the first place. Durant ends the playoffs with averages of 29.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists across 42.3 minutes per game in 11 postseason appearances.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: Monster double-double in victory
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Durant contributed 36 points (11-19 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 12-13 FT), 11 rebounds, six assists, one block and two steals across 44 minutes during Sunday's 129-124 victory over the Nuggets in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Durant logged his highest scoring total of the playoffs in the Game 4 win and his third double-double of the postseason. Although the Nuggets were well aware that Durant and Devin Booker were going to attempt a repeat performance after getting drubbed by the duo in Game 3, they had no answer for Durant. The All-Star also nailed 12 of his 13 free throw attempts, following up his 14 points at the charity stripe in Game 3.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: Struggles from field in loss
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Durant provided 24 points (10-27 FG, 2-12 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 44 minutes during Monday's 97-87 loss to the Nuggets in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Durant had a solid all-around stat line that would've been a productive outing for 95 percent of the players in the league, but not by his lofty standards. His shooting struggles were particularly noticeable, as Durant ended with more field goal attempts (27) than points scored (24) for the first time since March 29, when he recorded 16 points on 18 shots in a win over the Timberwolves. One subpar outing shouldn't take anything from Durant's status as one of the go-to players for the Suns on offense, but he'll need to be much more efficient for the Suns to climb back into the series as it shifts to Phoenix.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: Scores team-high 29
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Durant ended with 29 points (12-19 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 14 rebounds, one assist, three blocks and one steal in 36 minutes during Saturday's 125-107 loss to the Nuggets in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Durant capitalized on Denver's smaller wings, canning his signature midrange jumpers while finishing a perfect 4 for 4 at the rim. He also accounted for 36.8 percent of the Suns' total rebounds. It's possible that trend continues with Deandre Ayton logging a team-worst minus-21 during his time on the floor.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: Busy night at charity stripe
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Durant closed Thursday's 129-124 victory over the Clippers in Game 3 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals with 28 points (8-15 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 11-11 FT), six rebounds, five assists and two steals across 41 minutes.
Durant needed just 15 shots to score 28 points, finishing second on the team behind Devin Booker (45). The veteran superstar is now averaging 26.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks with 51/28/96 shooting splits over his first three postseason games with Phoenix. As long as Kawhi Leonard (knee) and Paul George (knee) remain sidelined, Durant and Booker should garner favorable matchups during Saturday's Game 4.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: Posts 25 points in victory
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Durant closed with 25 points (10-19 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 5-6 FT), six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal across 44 minutes during Tuesday's 123-109 win over the Clippers in Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
Durant was noticeably more confident with his shot in the Game 2 win. The Suns have had limited experience with a healthy starting five, and they looked much more in sync with increased involvement from the All-Star. Durant is no stranger to the rigors of the postseason, averaging 29.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists over 157 playoff games.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: Flirts with triple-double in loss
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Durant contributed 27 points (7-15 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 10-10 FT), nine rebounds, 11 assists, two blocks and one steal in 45 minutes during Sunday's 115-110 loss to the Clippers in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
Durant took a few minutes to get going, which was to be expected considering the limited amount of time the Suns have played as a complete team. Durant acclimated quickly, beginning with a flurry of mid-range shots before extending out to the perimeter in the second half. Despite coming up short, Durant's result is an encouraging sign that the team is finally beginning to gel. The trio of Durant, Chris Paul and Devin Booker should improve as a group once they establish a consistent rhythm on offense.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: Good to go for Game 1
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Durant (ankle) isn't on the injury report for Sunday's Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round versus the Clippers, Kellan Olson of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Durant took part in practice Wednesday, foreshadowing his return to the floor after sitting out the final two games of the regular season. Durant logged 33-plus minutes in each of his final four appearances for the Suns, so he shouldn't have any restrictions as Phoenix begins its postseason run.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: Practices Wednesday
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Durant (ankle) participated in Wednesday's practice, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.
Durant missed the Suns' final two regular season games due to ankle injury management. However, his return to practice is a good sign of his availability for Sunday's playoff matchup with the Clippers. The superstar forward recorded 27 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in 35 minutes in his only appearance against the Clippers this season.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: Out for finale
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Durant (ankle) is out for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Clippers, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.
Durant and the other members of Phoenix's Big 4 will all sit out for a second straight game to close out the regular season. In his eight appearances with the Suns so far, Durant has averaged 26.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 blocks in 33.6 minutes.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: Officially ruled out
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Durant won't play in Friday's game versus the Lakers due to ankle injury management, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Durant has been officially ruled out Friday, as expected. Torrey Craig will likely be inserted into the starting lineup in his absence. Durant's next chance to suit up is Sunday's game versus the Clippers, but it is unclear if he will play with nothing on the line for the Suns.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: Expected to sit Friday
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Durant is likely to sit out Friday's game versus the Lakers due to rest, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
After logging 41 minutes in the first leg of Phoenix's back-to-back, Durant likely won't suit up Friday. The Suns are locked into the fourth seed in the Western Conference, so they have no need to play their star players. Torrey Craig and Ish Wainright are candidates to see extended minutes in his expected absence.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: Team-high 35 in win
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Durant logged 35 points (13-21 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 6-6 FT), five rebounds, five assists and two blocks across 35 minutes during Sunday's 128-118 win over the Thunder.
For the second game in a row, Durant was firing on all cylinders, reaching the 30-point mark for the third time in a Suns uniform. After a rusty showing last Wednesday in his return from a three-week absence due to an ankle sprain, Durant hasn't taken long to regain top form and looks poised for a big finish to the regular season as well as the Suns' subsequent playoff run.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: Scores game-high 30 points
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Durant supplied 30 points (11-15 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 6-7 FT), four rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal across 33 minutes during Friday's 100-93 win over the Nuggets.
Durant was efficient from the field and notched his 21st game of the season with at least 30 points. After a shaky first appearance back following a 10-game absence due to an ankle sprain, Durant looked like his usual self Friday and appears to be in good shape heading into playoff action.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: Struggles with shot in return
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Durant (ankle) had 16 points (5-18 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 4-5 FT), eight rebounds and four assists over 29 minutes during Wednesday's 107-100 victory over Minnesota.
Durant missed his first six shots during his return to action following a 10-game absence due to a left ankle sprain. He was able to steady the ship in the second half but was limited down the stretch due to a minutes restriction. Despite the poor shooting, it was still encouraging to see the superstar forward back in action before the playoffs.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: Playing with restrictions
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Durant (ankle) will play in Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves, Kellan Olson of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Durant will play for the first time since March 5 after suffering a sprained left ankle but will be under a minutes restriction. However, given his strong fantasy ability, he can still provide value for fantasy managers even if he doesn't cross the 30-minute threshold.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: Expected to play Wednesday
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Durant (ankle) is expected to play Wednesday against the Timberwolves, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix reports.
While Durant is being listed as questionable on the injury report, he's fully expected to play, so managers in season-long settings should plan on having him active Wednesday. He'll likely have his minutes monitored in his first game back from a 10-game absence, but even with minutes in the 20s, KD is capable of offering up a useful stat line. His return will likely result in Torrey Craig returning to the second unit, and Deandre Ayton's usage will dip.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: Officially listed as questionable
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Durant (ankle) is questionable for Wednesday's game versus the Timberwolves, Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com reports.
Durant is reportedly on track to play Wednesday after missing the previous 10 games with a left ankle sprain. Torrey Craig and Josh Okogie are candidates to see reduced minutes once the superstar forward returns. Fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if Durant is on a minutes restriction once he's cleared to play.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: Remains on track to play Wednesday
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Durant (ankle) remains "on course" to return to the Suns lineup for Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.
Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported last Friday that Durant was tracking toward a return during the middle of this week, and though head coach Monty Williams played coy about the matter when speaking to the media Monday, all signs point to the 13-time All-Star suiting up versus Minnesota. After making his Phoenix debut March 1, Durant played just three games before suffering a left ankle sprain while warming up ahead of a March 8 win over the Thunder. He's proceeded to miss the last 10 games, but assuming he checks out fine during practice Tuesday and Wednesday's morning shootaround, Durant should be back in action against Minnesota, though perhaps with a light minute restriction in place. Torrey Craig is likely to move to the bench to clear a spot in the starting five for Durant.
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Suns' Kevin Durant: May return Wednesday
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Durant (ankle) will potentially return Wednesday versus Minnesota, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Durant has missed seven straight games after twisting his left ankle during warmups ahead of a March 8 matchup against Oklahoma City, and given Charania's report, the superstar forward will miss at least three more before potentially returning to action. Wednesday's matchup marks three weeks since Durant suffered the injury and 20 days since he was given a three-week timetable. Durant has played in only three games with Phoenix, but he looked like his himself during those contests, posting 26.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 blocks in 32.7 minutes.
