The Houston Rockets have suffered a huge blow ahead of their clash against the Indiana Pacers. Kevin Durant has been added to the injury report and will not play in Monday’s game, sitting out for the team’s one-game road trip due to a left ankle sprain.
Durant’s absence comes as a surprise given how durable he has been this season. Now in his 19th year, he has missed only two games all season, and neither was due to an ankle injury. He has played in every game since Nov. 27 and showed no signs of discomfort during that stretch.
January was actually one of Durant’s best months of the campaign, averaging 27.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists.
He also appeared fully healthy in Houston’s most recent game against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. Durant logged nearly 38 minutes, his highest workload since Jan. 23. While he struggled shooting the ball and finished with 13 points on 6-of-17 from the field, the heavy minutes indicated there were no physical struggles.
Given that his ankle has not been an issue in recent weeks, this decision feels more precautionary by the Rockets’ coaching staff. Indiana has had a rough season and currently sits last in the Eastern Conference at 13-36, which likely made it easier for Houston to prioritize KD’s rest. Sitting Durant now also gives him extra recovery time ahead of a much tougher matchup against the red-hot Boston Celtics on Wednesday.
Durant is not the only Rocket sidelined. Steven Adams will also miss the game, and Fred VanVleet remains out for the season, having been ruled out even before the year began.
Kevin Durant joins esteemed company with 16th career All-Star selection
The NBA announced reserves for the All-Star Game on Sunday, with Kevin Durant making the cut. It marks the 16th All-Star selection of his career, placing him in truly rare company.
With this honor, Durant joins LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Kobe Bryant as the only players in NBA history to earn at least 16 All-Star nods.
Durant’s selection comes after another dominant performance in the first half of the season. He averaged 26.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game while leading the Houston Rockets to a 30-17 record, good for fourth place in the Western Conference.
Read More: Rockets vs Pacers Prediction, Odds (Feb. 2) | 2025-26 NBA Season
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