Getty Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns reacts after scoring in the second half against the Chicago Bulls.
Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant is officially set to make his return to the court. According to a report from NBA insider Shams Charania, Durant will make his return Wednesday, March 29 against the Minnesota Timberwolves barring setback.
Durant has missed the Suns last ten games while being sidelined with a sprained ankle. The injury took place during pregame warmups on March 8, before a home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. After being acquired at the NBA’s trade deadline in a deal with the Brooklyn Nets, Durant has played in just three games with the Suns.
In those three games, the Suns have gone on to post a 3-0 record while winning in convincing fashion. During that span, the superstar forward went on to average 26.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 69.0% from the field.
After missing 10 games with a sprained ankle, Phoenix Suns All-NBA star Kevin Durant will make his return Wednesday vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves barring setback, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Phoenix Looks to Build Off Recent Momentum With Return of Durant
The energy surrounding the Suns is about to shift in a big way. Phoenix is coming off back-to-back impressive performances. The team picked up a huge win at home on Saturday, March 25 by defeating the Philadelphia 76ers 125-105.
Phoenix then hit the road on Monday night, taking care of business against the Utah Jazz in impressive fashion by a final score of 117-103. The Suns also got another key piece of their starting lineup back in the mix, as center Deandre Ayton made his return to the court.
Ayton had missed Phoenix’s last four games while dealing with a bruised hip. In his return, Ayton finished with 14 points and eight rebounds on 5-of-10 shooting in 30 minutes. Speaking after the game to Duane Rankin of AZCentral.com, Ayton admitted that the Suns were excited to get “the Slim Reaper” back on the court.
“The Slim Reaper is on the way.”
Deandre Ayton on Kevin Durant as #Suns play Wednesday against #Timberwolves.
Suns Aim to Build Chemistry Ahead of Playoffs
Phoenix is starting to find their groove at the perfect time of the regular season. After a disappointing 0-3 road trip, the Suns have won their last two games and are preparing for a pair of challenging Western Conference showdowns.
All eyes will be on Wednesday night’s showdown against the Minnesota Timberwolves, especially with Durant set to return to the floor. Minnesota is coming off an impressive 119-115 road victory against the Sacramento Kings and find themselves battling for playoff positioning in a competitive Western Conference.
Minnesota finds themselves as the sixth seed currently, but remain just 1.5 games behind the Suns for fourth place. It won’t get easier for the Suns, as they will take on the Denver Nuggets on Friday, who are currently in fist place in the West with an overall record of 51-24.
With just seven games remaining in the regular season, Phoenix knows just how crucial each game will be moving forward. It’s not only important for the Suns to maintain their spot in the standings, but the team must build some chemistry rapidly before the grueling grind of the playoffs. With Durant getting back in the mix, it’s time for Phoenix to figure out their potential rotation moving forward.
With Durant sidelined, the Suns have had to lean on the efforts of superstar guard Devin Booker. After a 24-point performance against the Utah Jazz on Monday night, Booker spoke with Duane Rankin of AZCentral.com, stressing the importance of working on some “kinks” moving forward with KD back.
“We obviously have some kinks to work out and we can only do that by experience, playing with each other. Our first three games went really well. I’m excited to get back to that.”
“Our first three games went really well. I’m excited to get back to that.”
Devin Booker on once again playing with Kevin Durant as #Suns went 3-0 with the two-time finals MVP in the lineup.
Durant has missed Phoenix’s last 10 games with a left ankle sprain.