Kevin Durant’s highly anticipated return to Phoenix will have to wait.
A lightning rod for the Suns’ successes and failures during his two full seasons in the Valley, Durant was ruled out for personal reasons during the Houston Rockets’ visit to Phoenix on Monday night.
Durant, who averages 24.6 points per game for the Rockets, led the Suns in scoring in his two full seasons before forcing an offseason trade.
The Suns didn’t win a playoff game in Durant’s full seasons there, and he was sent to Houston for Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green.
Both teams have embraced the change by winning 10 of their last 12 games.
Dillon Brooks, for one, can’t wait for the reunion.
“We’re turning the organization around really quickly and we’re winning games,” said Brooks, who spent the previous two seasons with the Rockets. “We’re hungry, especially me. I’m hungry. I’m starving. I want to get started. I can’t wait to get some sleep and have a good meal for (Monday).”
Brooks had 25 points and four of the Suns’ 14 3-pointers in a 111-102 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
Suns guard Jordan Goodwin recorded 15 points and 10 rebounds, his first double-double of the season, while making his first start in place of small forward Ryan Dunn (wrist injury).
“My job is to bring energy,” Goodwin said.
Suns center Mark Williams had 14 points and 11 rebounds against the Spurs. He hasn’t played back-to-back games this season and isn’t expected to play Monday, even against the bigger Rockets.
The Rockets haven’t played since Friday, when they had their five-game winning streak snapped in a 112-109 home loss to Denver in an NBA Cup game.
Durant and fellow 6-foot-11 Alperen Sengun combined for 27 points on 11-of-29 shooting from the field against the Nuggets in a game in which reserve guard Reed Sheppard tried to bail them out with a career-high 27 points. He also had four assists and two steals.
“I’m shooting two or three guys,” Houston coach Ike Udoka said. “Playing in the crowd a little bit. “There were guys open in the pocket. You have to do the right readings. Just a few forced hits, and then just a little too stagnant at times. We need to play with more pace.”
With point guard Fred VanVleet out for the season with a torn ACL, the Rockets are looking for a backcourt partner for wing Amen Thompson, who is averaging 17.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Former Sun Josh Okogie made 10 starts.
Sheppard, who came off the bench in all 14 games, made 9 of 13 from the field and 5 of 8 from 3-point range against the Nuggets.
“Fred told me in one of the timeouts, to get in the middle of the pick-and-roll and go out and shoot the 3 and loosen things up, and it worked,” Sheppard said.
The Rockets led the league in rebounds (49.6 per game) and offensive rebounds (16.5) heading into Sunday’s games. Sengun averages 10.0 per game.
Sengun recorded his lowest points (14) and rebounds (five) in the game against Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. Sengun, who is also comfortable on the outside, is fed up with the nickname “Baby Jokic”.
“I mean, bro, I don’t care what people call me,” he said. “But I have my own game. Yes, we have similar stuff. He was my admired player when I first came into the league. But now I have my own team. We are one of the best teams in the league. Whatever name they call me, I’m fine with it, you know? But I’m just writing my own story.”
–Field level media
