MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥� Kevin Durant isn鈥檛 expected to play at all during the Phoenix Suns鈥� three-game trip after spraining his left ankle in a loss to Houston on Sunday.
The Suns began their road swing Tuesday at Milwaukee. They also play Friday at Boston and Sunday at New York before returning home to face Golden State on April 8.
鈥淎s of now, we don鈥檛 expect him to join us on the trip,鈥� Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said before Tuesday鈥檚 game.
Budenholzer was optimistic the 11-time all-NBA forward will return before the end of the regular season. The Suns will have four games remaining when they return home as they attempt to earn a spot in the play-in tournament to determine the Western Conference鈥檚 last two playoff spots.
鈥淲e鈥檙e certainly hopeful,鈥� Budenholzer said. 鈥淚 think these first few days will be important, but we鈥檙e hopeful he鈥檒l be back before end of the season.鈥�
Durant stepped on the foot of Houston鈥檚 Jabari Smith Jr. and fell to the floor in the third quarter of . When he got to his feet, the 11-time all-NBA performer couldn鈥檛 put weight on his left leg.
The Suns entered Tuesday鈥檚 action 11th in the Western Conference standings, 1 1/2 games behind ninth-place Dallas and one game behind 10th-place Sacramento. The teams that finish seventh through 10th in the West compete in the play-in tournament.
The 36-year-old Durant averages 26.6 points to rank sixth in the NBA. He also is averaging six rebounds and 4.2 assists.
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AP NBA:
Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
