Durant Sits Out With Finger Injury

Kevin Durant rode the bench for the first time this season, but unlike the rook’s preseason knee injury, it was a sprained index finger that kept him sidelined. That’s a $4.2 million finger Durant’s nursing back to health after leaving late in the first quarter in a contest against the Garnett-less Timberwolves. Though X-ray results were negative, the leading Rookie of the Year candidate sat out Monday’s New Year’s Eve game against A.I. and his 76ers squad. Too bad this A.I. was the Illadelph’s Andre Iguodala. Seattle was also forced to bench its No. 2 man, Chris Wilcox, due to a knee injury. The result: a 90-98 Sonics loss, and a second-half ball game where Seattle never seemed in contention. Prior to this game, Wilcox and Durant had not sat out a game this season.

“It was pretty bad when I hurt it at first,” KD told the media. “Then [Sunday, December 30] I got some treatment on it and the swelling went down a little bit. But today I couldn't catch the ball. It started to hurt a little bit.”

That was evident when he tried to dribble wearing a soft wrist brace. He later admitted it prevented him from handling the ball cleanly.

Interestingly enough, another dominating Rookie of the Year, Lebron James, had the same setback his freshman campaign. KD even dialed up James, discussing the injury.

“He said it took him about five days [to recover]. I'm hoping that if I get some treatment and ice it a little more, I'll be ready next game.”

Let's hope so because the Sonics next game is January 3 against the Suns, and Seattle will need him if they hope to have a chance against the best in the West.