Why is Kevin Durant out vs Grizzlies? Reason for Suns superstar's absence explained

Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns wasn't able to suit up against the Memphis Grizzlies as he was added to the injury list prior to the game. Along with four other players, KD missed the game against the Grizzlies as the Suns tried to get their sixth consecutive win this season.

Durant was listed as probable before the start of the game but the team decided to sit him out due to right foot soreness. The Suns are coming off a win against the Golden State Warriors where the 6-foot-11 superstar scored 32 points and had eight rebounds.

Before the injury report was finalized, there were four other players who were already listed as out. Drew Eubanks, Yuta Watanabe, Bradley Beal, and Damion Lee are all out with injuries.

Durant has been sensational for Phoenix this season. He's been their most reliable All-Star among the Big 3. The 13-time All-Star is currently averaging 31.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists for the team. His play has given the Suns hope during times when they need it.

Head coach Frank Vogel is looking to try more small-ball lineups with KD at the helm. Vogel also mentioned before their win against the Warriors that he's exploring options other than Durant in a potential small-ball lineup for the Suns.

"It’s a necessary weapon to go to in the modern NBA when you see five smalls out there, sort of stretches certain games. I like Keita’s (Bates-Drop) length and defensive versatility; he can help us on the boards. A lot of times, you go small and your small ball is too small, you have the shooting necessary and the switch ability necessary, but you don’t have the size to rebound or protect the rim and KD gives us a little bit of all of that. We haven’t done it a lot, so the offensive organization can be a little bit better."

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Kevin Durant talked about Chris Paul's ejection

Kevin Durant played a huge role in getting Chris Paul ejected in their last game. He was the offensive player that CP3 fouled. While Durant was taking his free throws, Paul and Scott Foster had a long back-and-forth about it, resulting in the NBA veteran getting a technical foul called on him.

After the game, Durant was asked about what happened and he said:

"I didn't see it coming, but I looked it up and they was talking for a little bit longer," Kevin Durant said. "I kinda felt like it wasn't a warm exchange. I knew after I saw a couple extra minutes of them talking, I knew something different. I didn't get to hear what was going, but it was this crazy sequence of what like, three or four techs, Chris getting thrown out the game. You know the history that him and Scott has, it was definitely a weird ending to the half, but I'm glad we got points out of it."