Houston’s Kevin Durant will miss 2 games due to family matters

The Houston Rockets will be without Kevin Durant for the next two games.

Durant will miss Monday’s game against the Phoenix Suns and Wednesday’s game against the Golden State Warriors due to a family matter, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. The details of the family affair are not yet known.

Announcement

Presumably, Durant will rejoin the Rockets for the second half of their four-game road trip on Sunday. This marks the first of back-to-back meetings against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.

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Durant is in the midst of his first season with the Rockets this fall. He joined the franchise after a couple of difficult campaigns with the Phoenix Suns following what was the largest trade in NBA history. He then signed a two-year, $90 million extension with the Rockets.

Durant averaged 24.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game this season, his 18th in the league. He had 13 points and eight rebounds in Friday night’s 112-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Nikola Jokić dropped 34 points with 10 rebounds and nine assists to lead the Nuggets to a narrow three-point victory in the NBA Cup. He went on a five-game hitting streak for Houston.

Announcement

The Rockets begin their road trip this week with a 10-4 record. Durant, along with Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson, will look to lead the franchise to a second consecutive playoff appearance this season, something the Rockets haven’t seen since coach Mike D’Antoni. D’Antoni’s final season with the team in 2020 was the last time they won a playoff series.