Suns Durant Out At Least Two Weeks with Calf Strain – The ‘Slim Reaper’ is down and out. The Phoenix Suns have depended on 18-year veteran Kevin Durant to carry the franchise on his shoulders ever since he arrived in the desert. They will have to depend on other players to pick up the slack for the time being.
Durant will be sidelined for at least the next two weeks while recovering from a left calf strain sustained in Friday’s dramatic 114-113 victory over Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, the Suns announced Saturday. Durant will be re-evaluated in fourteen days.
The 36-year-old Durant has been the catalyst, leading Phoenix to a franchise-record 8-1 start, including a seven-game winning streak coming into the weekend. Most of that early success has come on the heels of nail-biting finishes. Durant has thrived in those big moments, shooting a blistering 63.2% and leading the league in total clutch scoring with 29 points.
Overall, Durant is doing that work, averaging 27.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 42.9% from downtown, his best mark since the 2020-21 campaign when he was with the Brooklyn Nets. His 38.8 minutes per game this year are the most he has logged since 2010-11 as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 14-time All-Star was hampered by a left calf strain during the Paris Olympics this summer before helping lead the team to a gold medal over France.
Phoenix will look to four-time All-Star Devin Booker and three-time All-Star Bradley Beal to shoulder more of the scoring load until Durant returns. The Suns are also looking to Royce O’Neale, rookie Ryan Dunn and other options who can eat up Durant’s vacated frontcourt minutes.
The Suns (8-1) entered the weekend in first place in the Western Conference.
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Grizzlies Morant Week-To-Week with Hip Injury – Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant is “week-to-week” with a strained hip, the team announced in a statement on Saturday.
“While attempting to catch a lob during the third quarter of the November 6 game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Morant was destabilized midair by a Lakers player, causing him to fall into extreme right hip flexion. Imaging revealed a posterior hip subluxation (without dislocation) along with multiple associated Grade 1 pelvic muscle strains.”
The Grizzlies listed Morant as out on Saturday’s injury report with “Right Hip; Subluxation and Pelvic Muscle Strains.
The guard sustained a hip strain after landing awkwardly on a dunk attempt during last Wednesday’s 131-114 win over LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. As the Grizzlies’ statement explained, Morant attempted to catch a lob before being undercut by Christian Koloko.
The officials swallowed their whistles and no foul was called. Morant was able to gather himself and got to his feet slowly as play resumed to the other end of the court. He then motioned to Grizzlies assistant Tuomas Iisalo to come out of the game.
The team initially said Morant was doubtful to return with a hamstring injury and was spotted sitting on an exercise bike in the tunnel doing everything he could to keep the hip warm, during the fourth quarter. He finished the game with 20 points, five assists and four rebounds.
In his postgame press conference, Morant expressed his frustration with how the Lakers defended him.
“Fouling,” Morant said, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Damichael Cole. “We speak on that. Fouling. That’s why I didn’t play the rest of the game. Fouling. Let’s talk about it.”
Morant did not play in Friday’s 128-104 victory against the Washington Wizards and was seen with crutches. The Grizzlies begin a tough three-game road trip out West on Sunday versus the Portland Trail Blazers.
Eight games into the season, Morant is averaging 20.6 points and 9.1 assists per game. However, he has already dealt with a myriad of injuries early on, spraining his ankle during the preseason and missing a regular season game with soreness in his right thigh.
