Kevin Durant experienced soreness in his surgically repaired right foot late in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 16 point win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Durant poured in 26 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, but favored his right foot late in the victory.
The NBA’s reigning MVP had his right shoe off with ice on the foot while sitting on the bench in the fourth quarter, before playing a last two and a half-minute stretch.
Durant then headed to the locker room early, to not return, after checking out with 3:41 left in the game.
After the game, Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said Durant’s foot was, “a little sore.”
Additionally, the 26-year-old sometimes wears a walking boot before and after games for precautionary reasons.
“We’ve been very proactive on our imaging and things like that,” Brooks said. “It is sore, but that’s part of the process. We wouldn’t put him out there if it wasn’t just being sore. He felt good the next day after the last game, he was sore also. I think he’s going to be fine.”
Brooks added that due to the surgery, Durant will experience soreness from time to time.
“It comes and goes,” Durant said after the game. “It’s just part of the process. We knew that going into the surgery. We’re treating it pretty well. Keep icing it, keep doing treatment, but we knew it was going to happen. It’s off and on.”
Durant said he plans to talk to Thunder general manager Sam Presti and Brooks to figure out if he will play in the NBA All Star game on Sunday, February 15, and added that he will be in New York City.
Hear Brooks and Durant discuss his foot’s status in the video above.