Ask anyone around 24th October 2024 on their thoughts of the Suns’ upcoming regular season, and it’d beam with positivity. Millions of dollars invested, a veteran coach like Mike Budenholzer at the helm, and a top-20 player like Kevin Durant leading the attack- playoffs is a minimum. But fast forward to April—5 losses on the bounce means even a play-ins spot would be seen as a dub right now.

They sit 11th in the West, 2 games away from the Kings in 10th. They last won a game on 25th March, a sneaky 108-106 win over the Bucks. Durant was clearly the best player on the court with a 38/8/5 masterclass in 37 minutes. But he’s been sidelined for the last two games with a left ankle injury. Will he be fit to play tonight against the Knicks?

Suns injury report and predicted lineup against Knicks

The Knicks have been without Jalen Brunson for a while now, and have still qualified for the playoffs. How come? The other players have taken the responsibility of the Big Apple’s expectations in stride. The Suns will have to take a page out of their book tonight, as Kevin Durant is out indefinitely.

ESPN’s Shams Charania stated earlier this month that he’s out for at least a week. The 36-year-old has been averaging 26.6 points, 6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. Despite being the most experienced player in the team, his refusal to be the team’s de facto leader has costed the Suns this season. With Devin Booker showing his inability as the captain-elect, the on-court leadership position will be hampered even more with Durant’s lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Speaking of DBook, it’s good to see his game not hampered by the responsibility of being the leader. He’s averaged 25.7/4.1/7.1 this season, being the supportive drive to Durant’s offensive plays. The two games KD missed saw Booker muster up a double-double against the Bucks (39/11/3) and a (37/5/6) against the Celtics. He’s played in 71 of Phoenix’s 77 games this season, and will make that 72 tonight as he’s fit to play.

The Slim Reaper is the only name featured on the injury list ahead of tonight’s game at the MSG. And on that note, this is their predicted lineup:

With Bradley Beal and Booker fit to play, even the slightest of hopes are precious for the Valley faithful. But all this does beg the question—is Kevin Durant likely to be back for the play-ins run in?

Kevin Durant injury timeline

ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins thinks that the Suns should give him the rest of the season to get back into full fitness. “This season is a wash. They might as well shut Kevin Durant down. Outside of the Philadelphia 76ers, the Suns are the biggest disappointment in the NBA. There’s no reason to bring KD back. You can just tell man—the energy’s off, the spirit is off, they’re so inconsistent. And this is the prime example of a team that plays individual basketball.” But if he does have even a sliver of an opportunity at another run on the floor, you have to think that Budenholzer will be looking to bring him back as soon as possible.

Their record without him is terrible, losing 13 of 15 games. Despite all the disappointments, there was always hope for the Suns fans when he was on the floor. You could sense the cold air at the Footprint Center when he hobbled off the court after rolling his ankle over Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr.’s foot. Shams Charania said on April 1st that he’d miss the next week due to the MRI confirming the left ankle sprain. This means that the earlier KD would be seen on the court would be after their three-game away trip, in a home battle against the Warriors on April 9th.

There’s no update on his situation yet, but his exclusion for tonight’s game doesn’t look well for KD and the Suns.

It goes without saying—this is a must win game for the Suns. They’re going into this against a Knicks team that’s already qualified for the playoffs, so they could have the foot off the gas—something Phoenix will be looking to capitalize on.