Rockets forward Kevin Durant will miss Houston’s next two games as he steps away to handle a family matter, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The Rockets visit the Suns on Monday and head to Golden State on Wednesday.
Durant has been everything Houston hoped for in his age-37 season. He’s averaging 24.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 14 games, shooting .485 from the field while playing more than 36 minutes a night.
And as Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports notes, Durant has also taken on a bigger voice with this young roster.
“I got more comfortable speaking up when I see stuff,” Durant said. “I’ve been through every situation, so that’s given me more confidence to help my teammates.”
One teammate in particular has earned the future Hall of Famer’s praise. That would be second-year guard Reed Sheppard, who has been playing his best basketball of the season.
“Knowing the confidence he’s given me is really cool,” Sheppard said.
Houston will be thin at forward while Durant is away. Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle surgery) and Tari Eason (oblique) remain out, leaving Jae’Sean Tate and Jeff Green as the likely fill-ins, assuming Tate is recalled from the G League.
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