TThe Houston Rockets had a marquee week lined up. Storylines everywhere. Kevin Durant’s return against the Phoenix Suns. Former Rockets meeting their old team. A test against the Golden State Warriors.
Instead, everything just changed.
According to Shams Charania, Durant will miss the Rockets’ next two games due to a family matter, including Monday’s meeting with the Suns and Wednesday’s matchup with Golden State.
And for Houston, it shifts the entire tone of the week.
Rockets Lose a Major Storyline Heading Into Suns Matchup
Getty Kevin Durant of the Houston Rockets interact acts with Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason of the Houston Rockets.
Monday’s Rockets–Suns game had been circled from the moment the schedule dropped.
It could have been Durant’s first time stepping in front of his old Phoenix teammates. It also could have been the first time Houston faced two former Rockets in the same game: Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green.
Now, only part of that narrative remains.
Brooks will play, and he rarely needs an excuse to compete with edge. Facing a former team usually sharpens the focus even more. He has no hard feelings toward Houston, but motivation comes easy for him.
Green, on the other hand, is out with a hamstring injury. His debut with Phoenix — 29 points on 10-of-20 shooting — showed why the Suns were eager to bring him in when they added Durant. But he will not be available Monday night.
And with Durant also out, the highly anticipated reunion takes another hit.
Life Comes First for Durant
Durant will miss both the Rockets game and Wednesday’s matchup with the Warriors while handling a family matter. Anybody around the league understands what that means. Basketball pauses. Real life does not.
Players deal with everyday issues the same way everyone else does, sometimes with even more weight because of the pressure, attention and expectations attached to their careers.
The Rockets’ preparation continues, but the bigger picture is obvious: everyone hopes all is well with Durant and his family.
Rockets Still Meeting a Suns Team That Wants to Prove Something
Even without Durant and Green, Phoenix still brings juice into this matchup. The Suns want to prove they can stay afloat while shorthanded. Brooks will bring intensity. The Rockets will need to match it.
For Houston, the focus stays on taking care of business, continuing to refine their identity and building on a promising start. Missing certain matchups might remove some spice, but the games still matter.
Durant’s Season Has Been Up and Down
Once he returns, Durant will look to regain rhythm in what has been one of his most uneven statistical seasons in years. Even so, his “down” year still looks like stellar production:
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24.6 points
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4.8 rebounds
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3.3 assists
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48.5 percent from the field
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36.4 percent from three
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88 percent from the line
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61 percent true shooting
For most players, that is a career year. For Durant, it is considered a dip.
It remains unclear exactly when he will return to the floor. What is clear is that the Rockets will have to adjust quickly as their schedule ramps up.
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