Kevin Durant was supposed to introduce himself to Suns fans, but the player was injured before the game started.
Kevin Durant moved to Phoenix before the trade deadline. ZumaWire / MVPHOTOS
The Phoenix Suns returned from an away game tour that lasted almost two weeks, when they faced the Oklahoma City Thunder early Thursday morning Finnish time.
The game was highly anticipated in Phoenix, as it was supposed to be the first time one of the NBA’s elite players Kevin Durant would play in a Suns jersey in front of the home crowd.
This also affected fans’ wallets. Front Office Sports reported that home game ticket prices rose by as much as 226 percent and only because of Durant. The average ticket price was $355, but before Durant was acquired, it would have cost $110 to get into the game. Despite the increase, the tickets sold out.
However, the expected Wednesday night turned into a farce.
Durant didn’t even make his home debut because he slipped under the basket during warm-ups and injured his ankle. An ankle injury is something that Durant is very familiar with, and in the worst case, there could be another long break from games.
A video of Durant’s fall was posted on social media. In the comment field It’s debated whether the unfortunate fall was the thorn of the two-time NBA champion or the floor-drying ball boy.
Durant played in the Suns’ three previous road games and managed to score at least 20 points in all of them. The man bagged 37 against the Dallas Mavericks.
Wednesday night’s festivities watched the match from the sidelines. The championship-chasing Suns crushed Oklahoma by as much as 132–101 without Durant. Booked by the team in 2015 Devin Booker made club history by scoring over 35 points in the fourth consecutive game. Scored 44 against Oklahoma.