MILWAUKEE – The Phoenix Suns are hopeful Kevin Durant returns before the end of the regular season, coach Mike Budenholzer said before Tuesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum.
Durant sprained his left ankle in the third quarter of Sunday’s home loss to the Houston Rockets. Budenholzer confirmed Durant isn’t expected to join the team on the three-game road trip that continues Friday at Boston and ends April 6 against New York.
The Suns (35-40) have seven games left in the regular season. They were a game behind Sacramento for the 10th seed and final spot in the Western Conference and trailed Dallas by 1½ games for the ninth seed going into Tuesday's game.
Durant leads the Suns in scoring at 26.6 points a game and is seventh in the league.
Bradley Beal missed an eighth straight game Tuesday with a left hamstring strain, but is hopeful to return during the road trip as he’s with the team.
Royce O’Neale was a late scratch Tuesday with an illness.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns hopeful injured Kevin Durant returns before end of regular season
