Kevin Durant’s much-anticipated return to Phoenix will have to wait.
A lightning rod for the Suns’ successes and failures in his two full seasons in the Valley, Durant has been ruled out for personal reasons when the Houston Rockets visit Phoenix on Monday night.
Durant, who is averaging 24.6 points a game for the Rockets, led the Suns in scoring in his two full seasons before forcing an offseason trade.
The Suns did not 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, cannot wait for the reunion.
“We’re turning around the organization really fast, 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 get a good meal for (Monday).”
Brooks had 25 points and four of the Suns’ 14 3-pointers in a 111-102 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
Suns guard Jordan Goodwin had 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 collected 14 points and 11 rebounds against the Spurs. He has not played in back-to-back games this season and is not expected to play on Monday, even against the taller Rockets.
The Rockets have not played since Friday, when they saw their five-game winning streak broken in a 112-109 home loss to Denver in an NBA Cup game.
Durant and fellow 6-foot-11 big man 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.
“Shooting over two or three guys,” Houston coach Ike Udoka said. “Playing in a crowd a little. “Had guys open in the pocket. Have to make the right reads. Just forcing a few shots, and then just a little too stagnant at times. We have to play with more pace.”
With lead 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 a game. Former Sun Josh Okogie has made 10 starts.
Sheppard, who has come off the bench in all 14 games, was 9 of 13 from the floor and 5 of 8 from 3-point range against the Nuggets.
“Fred told me at one of the timeouts, get in the middle of the pick-and-roll and come out and shoot the 3 and loosen things up, and it worked,” Sheppard said.
The Rockets led the league in rebounding (49.6 a game) and offensive rebounding (16.5) entering Sunday games. Sengun is averaging 10.0 per game.
Sengun had season lows in points (14) and rebounds (five) in the game against Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. Sengun, who also is comfortable outside, has had it with the nickname “Baby Jokic.”
“I mean, bro, I don’t care what people call me,” he said. “But I have my own game. Yeah, we have similar stuff. He was my looking-up-to player when I came into the league. But now, I have my own team. We are one of the best teams in the league. Whatever they call me, I’m fine with it, you know? But, I’m just writing my own story.”
