Kevin Durant will play on Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks. The 14x NBA All-Star isn’t on the Phoenix Suns’ injury report for this marquee cross-conference game. It’s the replay of the 2021 NBA Finals. Both teams have looked significantly different since that series.
The Bucks have added Damian Lillard to their team, while the Suns have flipped their entire roster. Devin Booker is the only player from that finals series who is still on the team. Durant and Bradley Beal have been the team’s marquee additions since.
What happened to Kevin Durant?
Durant has stayed injury-free of late. However, he’s missed seven games this season due to various ailments. Durant first dealt with an ankle issue that saw him miss two games. He missed one because of a foot injury and four because of a hamstring issue early in January. Neither ailment has bothered him much since he returned from a four-game absence on Jan. 7.
Kevin Durant stats vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Kevin Durant has played 27 games against the Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 25.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists. Durant last played against the 2021 NBA champions on Dec. 23, 2022, when he was with the Brooklyn Nets. He tallied 24 points, five rebounds and six assists on 52.9% shooting in a 118-100 blowout win.
Durant wasn’t a part of the Suns’ 2021 finals team, but he’s been in some scorching battles against the Bucks’ core from his time with the Nets. Before the Bucks beat the Suns in 2021, they defeated the Nets in seven games in the conference semis.
Durant was unguardable in that series. He was the critical reason why Brooklyn took the series to seven games and nearly won it despite the injury absence of Kyrie Irving and James Harden not playing at 100%. Durant averaged 35.4 ppg, 10.6 rpg and 5.4 apg on 50/35/83 splits.
How to watch Milwaukee Bucks vs. Phoenix Suns?
The Milwaukee Bucks vs. Phoenix Suns game is the marquee matchup of Tuesday’s slate. TNT will provide national coverage, while Bally Sports Wisconsin and Arizona Family 3TV / Arizona’s Sports Family will cover the game locally. Fans outside the US can watch the game online via a subscription to NBA League Pass. The game will begin at 10:00 PM ET at Footprint Center, the Suns’ homecourt.
All-Stars Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard will headline the game. Giannis and Lillard are probable and questionable but could suit up.