Kevin Durant a late scratch for Suns home debut after he slipped during pregame warm-ups
Kevin Durant's home debut for the Phoenix Suns will have to wait.
Durant injured his left ankle during pregame warm-ups Wednesday and was ruled out due to soreness shortly before tip against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He slipped and fell during a pregame drill while driving to the basket.
Here’s video of Kevin Durant slipping on the floor pregame.
He stayed down for a few seconds but then got up and finished his on-court work. pic.twitter.com/DwTrNc6LIr— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) March 9, 2023
The Athletic's Doug Haller reports that Durant tightened his shoes and continued to warm up for 10 more minutes after his fall. The extent of his injury was not initially clear, but it proved to be too much to play through Wednesday.
Durant joined the Suns via trade from the Brooklyn Nets prior to the NBA's February trade deadline. He was sidelined at the time by an MCL injury that caused him to miss 20 games.
He made his debut with the Suns on the road against the Charlotte Hornets on March 1. The Suns won that game and two subsequent road games against the Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks. Durant and fellow All-Star Devin Booker have thrived on the court together, raising hopes in Phoenix that the Suns will compete for a championship.
Wednesday's game against the Thunder was slated to be Durant's highly anticipated home debut with his new franchise. Instead, he and Suns fans will have to wait at least one more game and hope the injury isn't serious. The Suns next play the Sacramento Kings on Saturday at home.
