MVP still MIA: Durant out indefinitely with foot soreness

Kevin Durant's return from the latest procedure on his troublesome right foot has once again been postponed, as the reigning MVP was ruled out indefinitely on Friday by Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti.

Durant, who underwent a procedure on Feb. 22 to replace a screw in his surgically repaired right foot, will cease all basketball activities for the time being. Presti said Durant may continue conditioning work, however.

"When he's healthy to play, when he's able to return without that soreness, he'll be back on the floor," said Presti, who noted that the protocol was for Durant to be able to perform without soreness by now.

"If that takes the rest of the regular season, if that takes the rest of the playoffs, that's what it's going to take," Presti said, adding that the team will confer with specialists to determine why Durant has not progressed as anticipated.

Upon Durant's return to practice last week, Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said KD was a week or two away from returning to game action, but announced Thursday that he had missed practice due to continued soreness in his foot.

Durant missed the first month of the season after undergoing preseason surgery to address a Jones fracture in the foot. He returned to play 27 games - with an ankle injury sandwiched between - before being sidelined by the foot again.

Durant is averaging 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists on 51 percent shooting in those 27 games.

The Thunder, who perform 7.3 points per 100 possessions better with Durant on the court, have gone 20-21 without Durant, although a chunk of those games have also come without Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka.

Oklahoma City, who is also without Ibaka for the next four-to-six weeks following knee surgery, enters the weekend clinging to a one-game lead over the New Orleans Pelicans for the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff spot.