The Suns have been having a season to forget. After bolding pairing Devin Booker with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal last season, Phoenix fans were expecting big things from this year’s Suns team. Unfortunately, the Suns have not lived up to those expectations. Now, even more bad Suns news has hit. It looks like one of the few bright spots of their season, Durant, will miss some time with an ankle injury. Durant’s ankle injury happened during a crucial game against the Houston Rockets on Sunday. Their loss to the Rockets marked their third in a row, making Durant’s injury even more dire. The Phoenix Suns’ playoff chances are now even bleaker, and if Durant can’t return quickly, they are at risk of completely missing the Play-In Tournament.
Untimely KD Ankle Injury Could Destroy Suns’ Playoff Hopes
A Season to Forget in Phoenix
The Phoenix Suns’ 2024-25 season has been a disaster. While Durant (26.6 PPG) and Booker (25.3 PPG) have held up their end of the scoring responsibility, the team has struggled to find any real consistent success. Beal’s impact has been limited due to injuries, as he has only played 48 games, averaging 17.3 PPG.
The Suns’ supporting cast has also failed to provide the depth needed for a championship push. Defensively, the Suns have lacked consistency, with no standout rim protector or defensive identity. Additionally, the team’s three-point shooting and overall efficiency have been inconsistent. The heavy reliance on their stars has exposed their lack of depth, especially in a competitive Western Conference.
Durant’s Ankle Injury Could Seal Phoenix’s Fate
Even though things haven’t gone well for the Suns this season, they still entered the final stretch of the season with the possibility of making the Play-In Tournament and having a shot at making the playoffs. That may have all ended on Sunday night.
Durant went down in the third quarter with what looked like quite a bad ankle sprain. He was helped to the locker room and won’t be traveling with the Suns to their next game in Milwaukee. Durant will have an MRI on Monday but most are assuming that at a minimum he will miss the Suns upcoming three game roadtrip.
Suns Will Miss the Play-In Tournament
Without Durant, the Suns are cooked. They are already without Beal, who is without a clear timetable to return from a hamstring injury. Now, without Durant for what looks like a few games at a minimum, they will be extremely shorthanded at the end of the season.
The Suns now sit one-and-a-half games behind the Kings for the 10th seed. That means they are within striking distance, but this KD ankle injury likely will put them out of the race. Especially because the Suns’ upcoming schedule is extremely daunting. Their next five games are against the Bucks, Celtics, Knicks, Warriors, and Thunder.
Don’t be surprised if Durant misses all of those games. That would make the Suns have a difficult time winning even more than one of those contests. Barring a miracle recovery from Durant, it looks like the Suns are bound to miss the Play-In Tournament and, therefore, the playoffs as well. This should prompt the organization to make some major changes this offseason.
Photo credit: © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
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