Kevin Durant

For Phoenix, Durant is a sight for sore eyes. They've admirably weathered his absence with a 4-6 record, but with seven games remaining a homecourt advantage in ...

[DraftKings odds](https://dksb.sng.link/As9kz/0wps?_dl=https%3A%2F%2Fsportsbook.draftkings.com%2Fgateway%3Fs%3D347134020%26wpcid%3D229989%26wpcn%3DInarticle%26wpsrc%3DVox%26wpscn%3DNBA%26wpcrid%3DInarticle&pcid=229989&psn=Vox&pcn=Inarticle&pcrid=Inarticle&pscn=NBA) In the desert, the red-hot Timberwolves are a surprising +5 against the Suns. They’re currently a game up on the [Los Angeles Clippers](https://www.clipsnation.com) in the loss column with Game #82 hosting Kawhi Leonard et. [Charlotte Hornets](https://www.atthehive.com). For the [76ers](https://www.libertyballers.com), their dynamic duo is questionable after an 0-3 trip west of the Mississippi. [The Athletic’s Shams Charania](https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1640786916961296410) is reporting that KD will return to the Suns lineup against the visiting Timberwolves just in time for tonight’s ESPN doubleheader.

Durant - one of the best scorers in league history - could potentially break Charles Barkley's record for most points scored for a player's home debut in ...

Durant missed the Suns' last 10 games due to a left ankle sprain suffered in pregame warmups for a March 8 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant's ...

with 11.7 seconds left that gave the Suns a 128-126 lead in their eventual 130-126 win. In three games against the Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks from March 1 through March 5, Durant averaged 26.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 blocks. If Phoenix wins, it will secure the tiebreaker between the teams with three wins in four meetings this season. Importantly, Wednesday’s game will take place against the seventh-seeded Timberwolves, who are 1 1⁄2 games behind the Suns. Durant’s return, so long as there is not another setback before the game starts, will be exactly three weeks later. 4 seed in the Western Conference.

"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.

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.