Is Kevin Durant playing tonight against Charlotte Hornets? Latest on 2x NBA champion's status (March 15)

Kevin Durant will play on Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets. The two-time champion isn't on the Phoenix Suns' injury report. Durant played in Thursday's 127-112 loss to the Boston Celtics but left the game without any blows. Barring a last-minute setback, he should play against Charlotte.

It could be a big night for him, as he's 33 points away from passing Shaquille O'Neal on the all-time scoring list. Durant has been in solid form over the last few games, so tallying another 30-piece is well within his reach.

He has been active on the second night of back-to-backs when healthy, so Friday shouldn't be any different.

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What happened to Kevin Durant?

Durant's last injury was a hamstring issue. He dealt with the ailment in Jan. The 35-year-old missed four games because of it. Durant hasn't missed a game since returning on Jan. 7 in a 121-115 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies.

He has missed seven games and is on track to play 65+ games for the first time since the 2018-19 season. The Suns are surprisingly 5-2 without their leading scorer this year.

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Kevin Durant stats vs. Charlotte Hornets

Kevin Durant has averaged 24.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 31 games against the Hornets. He's 23-8 against the Eastern Conference team.

Durant ended with 21 points, four rebounds and 11 assists on 8-of-11 shooting when the teams last met on Dec. 29. The Suns won 113-119 to take a 1-0 lead in the season series.

Phoenix enters Friday's contest as the favorite to complete the season series sweep, with Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal expected to play.

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How to watch Phoenix Suns vs. Charlotte Hornets?

NBA TV will cover the Phoenix Suns vs. Charlotte Hornets game. Local TV operators Arizona Family 3TV/ Arizona Family Sports and Bally Sports Southeast will also cover the contest. Fans outside the US can watch live action online via NBA League Pass. Tipoff is at 7:00 PM ET.

The Suns are seventh in the West with a 38-28 record, while the Hornets are 17-49, 13th in the East and headed towards another lottery finish.

The Suns have plenty at stake, with the top-six race heating up in the West. Phoenix is two games behind the fifth seed, one off the sixth and three clear of the ninth seed.

Every win counts from here, so the Suns will likely push for deploying their strongest lineups for games like Friday, where they would be the favorites regardless of their star players' health.