Kevin Durant Steps Away: “Right Now His Family Comes First”
Kevin Durant will miss the next two Rockets games due to a family matter. Houston will face the Suns and Warriors without its offensive leader
The Rockets will have to do without Kevin Durant for their next two outings. The former GSW star has been granted permission to temporarily leave the team to attend to a family matter, as announced by the franchise. This marks Durant’s first absence of the season, after consistently leading the team with impact and stability.
There’s also an interesting coincidence: the games he’ll be missing come against two of his former teams. On Monday, the Rockets will face the Phoenix Suns; on Wednesday, they’ll take on the Golden State Warriors in the new NBA Cup. Both matchups were highly anticipated for the storyline surrounding Durant’s return as an opponent – a narrative that will now be put on hold.
A Strong Start to the Season
Houston enters this brief pause with a 10-4 record, good for fifth in the West. Despite Fred VanVleet’s ACL injury, the team has managed to maintain the best offense in the NBA, and that’s no coincidence – Durant has been the centerpiece of their new offensive identity from day one.
As an internal source stated:
Durant brought exactly what we needed: pace, efficiency, accountability in key moments.
Houston Rockets insider
When Will Kevin Durant Return?
The goal is to have him back for next Sunday’s game against the Utah Jazz. The Rockets have not provided additional details regarding the family matter, in order to respect the player’s privacy.
Shams Charania confirmed that this is a temporary absence:
Durant expects to return as soon as possible, but right now his family is the priority.
Shams Charania
While waiting for his return, Houston will need to show it can maintain its rhythm even without its offensive anchor – a meaningful test for a team aiming to confirm its status as one of the best squads in this early season.