Kevin Durant will make his belated return to Phoenix when the Houston Rockets play the host Suns on Tuesday.
Durant missed the first game between the two in Phoenix in November while attending to a family matter, but about the only thing that matters now is playoff positioning.
“It’s going to be a high-energy game,” Suns guard Devin Booker told the Arizona Republic. “Obviously a lot of history. I’m excited for it. It will be a good test. There will be an incentive to play the right style of basketball this time of year.”
The Rockets (49-29) have won six in a row and eight of 10, and they have a not-far-fetched chance to move up to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference with four games left.
The Suns (43-35) still have a mathematical chance at the West’s No. 6 seed, the final team to escape the play-in tournament. However, their objective now is to re-define their rotation as starters return to health.
Durant flirted with a triple-double in the Rockets’ last game, a 117-116 victory at Golden State — another return trip he missed in November — when his pass to Alperen Sengun set up the winning basket with 11 seconds left.
Durant had 31 points, eight rebounds and eight assists on a night Stephen Curry scored 29 points in his return after a 27-game absence because of a right knee injury. Curry missed a long 3-pointer in the final seconds.
The Rockets lost all of a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter before recovering. Jabari Smith Jr. had 23 points and nine rebounds, Sengun had 24 points and Amen Thompson had 18 points and seven assists against the Warriors.
“When we play simple, when we make the simple play instead of trying to play in a crowd and when we don’t foul, we put ourselves in good position to win basketball games,” Durant said in a TV interview.
Durant spent the previous two-plus seasons with the Suns after being acquired in new owner Mat Ishbia’s first trade in February 2023. Internal issues forced a trade last summer, and the Suns acquired Dillon Books, Jalen Green and a 2026 first-round draft pick.
“It’s going to be a test for us as we look forward to the playoffs,” Brooks told the Republic.
The Suns beat Chicago 120-110 on Sunday. They have won four of seven since a five-game losing streak that coincided with the loss of Brooks and starting center Mark Williams.
If the Suns remain the No. 7 seed, they will meet the Los Angeles Clippers or Portland in the first play-in game. They would play again if they lost.
Brooks, averaging a career-high 20.4 points, has started the last three games after missing 18 with a fractured left hand. He had 15 points against the Bulls. Williams missed 15 games with a foot injury before returning for the last two.
Brooks made a jumper, a 3-pointer and had a blocked shot when the Suns closed the victory over the Bulls on a 11-2 run after losing all but one point of a 13-point lead.
“To find a way to win a game, make big plays on both sides of the ball down the stretch, that’s healthy for this group,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said.
Jordan Goodwin replaced Collin Gillespie in the starting lineup. Gillespie has a franchise-record 230 3-pointers this season.
“With three pretty high-usage players in the starting unit, (that) changes some of the dynamics with the second unit,” Ott said, referring to Booker, Brooks and Green.
“We have to get ready for the playoffs.”
