Kevin Durant out with toe sprain Monday vs. Magic

Kevin Durant is back on the shelf.

After returning from a two-game absence due to a sprained left big toe on Saturday, Durant will sit out Monday as the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Orlando Magic.

It's unclear if Durant re-injured the toe or simply wasn't 100 percent on Saturday, when he scored 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting in a loss. Caution is almost always the best approach with an injury to a superstar, but the Thunder's margin for error is shrinking by the day if they hope to capture a Western Conference playoff spot.

The Thunder are favoured by 12.5 points at home without their superstar and reigning MVP. That's a lot of faith in Russell Westbrook to carry the load, flanked by Dion Waiters in the starting lineup, since Perry Jones is also out.

Durant is averaging 25.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists. The team has been 7.5 points per-100 possessions better with him on the floor than without, but even his presence sometimes hasn't been enough. Oklahoma City has dropped each of the last three games Durant was able to play in - all games against the stiffest of competition, but troubling still.

The Magic aren't exactly a layup here, especially considering the Thunder recently lost to the lowly New York Knicks, so Durant's absence will be noticeable. This isn't just getting a star rest against a bad team.