Kevin Durant

2023 - 3 - 29

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Arizona Sports"

Suns' Kevin Durant will return Wednesday vs. Timberwolves (Arizona Sports)

Phoenix Suns GM and president of basketball operations James Jones said he expected Kevin Durant to play Wednesday against the Timberwolves.

We just move forward hoping he can play tonight and play well.” As of Wednesday, the Suns are fourth in the Western Conference standings with seven games left to play in the regular season. When Durant has been healthy, the forward has been as advertised. He had a couple good practices. Williams said the forward will be on a minutes restriction. While the Phoenix Suns still had the forward listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves hours before tipoff, Durant will suit up after missing the last 10 games due to a left ankle sprain, Monty Williams told reporters pregame.

Can the Suns win it all now with Kevin Durant? We asked Devin ... (The Athletic)

"We just hoop," Suns co-star Devin Booker says of Kevin Durant. "He fits right into that and he knows what we're doing."

[reported in early February](https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2023/2/6/23588074/chris-haynes-reports-phoenix-suns-chris-paul-trade-offer-kyrie-irving-nba-trade-deadline), Paul was offered by the Suns as part of a proposal for Irving before the latter was sent to Dallas. [Dallas](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/mavericks/), and the [COVID-19 outbreak](https://theathletic.com/3353821/2022/06/08/suns-covid-19-nba-protocols/), which certainly appeared to play a part. [Nets](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/nets/) in the Durant deal) missed time, Chris (Paul) missed time (21 games in all). The Nets, in turn, [fulfilled Durant’s request to be dealt to the Suns](https://theathletic.com/4170997/2023/02/09/kevin-durant-trade-nets-suns-jae-crowder/) by swapping him and TJ Warren for Bridges, Johnson, four first-round picks and a 2028 first-round pick swap. But I feel like the way you guys function, combined with who KD is as a player and the fact that we’ve seen him fit in with stars so well before with the [Warriors](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/warriors/), this might be the best version of that sort of scenario. The [Jae Crowder situation](https://theathletic.com/4173759/2023/02/10/bucks-jae-crowder-trade-2/), which led to a lengthy absence and an eventual trade to the [Bucks](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/bucks/) in February. Yeah, we take pride in it, man, just building it, seeing this from where it was and where it started to now to this being a destination. You know, him and (Suns coach) Monty (Williams) have history (from their time together on Team USA and the 2015-16 season together in Oklahoma City). [Philadelphia 76ers](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/sixers/) squad that was 21-21 at the time. The Sixers were stopped by Bill Russell’s Celtics in the Eastern Division Finals (the second of three rounds) in seven games, the last of which ended with the famous [“Havlicek stole the ball!”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4fTjcJwImw) moment. 1, 2008, Gasol – whose acquisition eased the tension that had come with Kobe Bryant’s trade request the summer before – helped the Lakers reach the Finals against [Boston](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/celtics/). [Lakers](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/lakers/), but he gets a hat tip here for getting close.

Phoenix Suns live updates: Kevin Durant has 10 points, Suns up ... (AZCentral.com)

The Suns are 3-0 with Kevin Durant in the lineup. Coach Monty Williams confirmed he will be available to play Wednesday.

Durant has three points in 13 minutes. The Suns still managed to lead after three, 81-74, as Cameron Payne had a seven-point scoring burst late in the quarter. Booker leads the Suns with 24 while Chris Paul has 11. The one Kyle Anderson blocked was a tough fader. Warren and Durant right before the Feb. He's pretty even keel. He's always ready for it. The Suns traded Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first round picks and a pick swap to Brooklyn for T.J. 8 at Miami when the trade happened. The 13-time All-Star made his Suns debut March 1 at Charlotte. He was sidelined nearly two months before returning to action March 1. The Suns went 3-0 with him in the lineup, but Durant twisted his left ankle during a pregame warmup March before what would’ve been his home debut March 8 against Oklahoma City.

Suns star Kevin Durant returns, scores 16 points in home debut (ESPN)

Kevin Durant had 16 points and eight rebounds in his home debut, and the Suns won their third straight game, beating the Timberwolves 107-100.

So the respect for what he's done for this game and what he's done for I know me personally is there, and you just want to perform. The group knows that Durant has the ability to take them to another level this season, and Wednesday's game offered another reminder of just how much better the group can be even when the future Hall of Famer is having an off night. "It's confidence for everybody," Booker said of having Durant back. Despite the setbacks, he laughed off the idea that he had been cursed by the injury bug given the randomness of his latest injuries. I'm sure he was [jittery], because he wants to make every shot." They have no doubt that Durant, who said his ankle "felt great," will find his rhythm in no time -- which is good news for a Suns team, now 41-35, that has just six regular-season games left and is fourth in the Western Conference standings. "It was hard for me to stop thinking about the game. [Oklahoma City Thunder](/nba/team/_/name/okc/oklahoma-city-thunder), Durant was just happy to have cleared the first hurdle of making it through pregame warmups on Wednesday night. Rehab is one of them, so I just try to do my best in that and come back and pick up where I left off." "It was hard for me to get sleep today," Durant said. They were just happy to have him out on the floor again. "You look at the shooting numbers, you're like, 'That's not Kevin,'" Suns coach Monty Williams said.

Kevin Durant rusty in return, but Suns rally past Timberwolves in his ... (Yahoo Sports)