Durant exits blowout loss to Rockets with ankle injury

Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant left Sunday's contest against the Houston Rockets midway through the third quarter following an apparent ankle injury.

Durant appeared to roll his left ankle when he stepped on Jabari Smith Jr.'s foot while driving to the rim.

The former MVP needed teammates to help him to the bench and could barely put any weight on the injured leg, according to The Athletic's Kelly Iko.

Suns forward Oso Ighodaro subbed into the game to take Durant's free throws, meaning the veteran forward was no longer eligible to return to the contest.

Durant will undergo an MRI on his ankle Monday, Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer said, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

Phoenix trailed Houston 92-57 at the time of Durant's injury and went on to lose 148-109.

Durant had 11 points and seven rebounds before exiting. Devin Booker scored a team-high 28 points.

Jalen Green led Houston with a game-high 33 points on 17 shots.

Rockets wing Dillon Brooks was ejected from the game following a brief scuffle with Durant in the second quarter. Brooks received his second technical foul for the altercation, which sent him to the locker room.

The Suns are 35-40 and sit 11th in the West following Sunday's defeat.

Houston is now two games ahead of the Denver Nuggets for the second spot in the West with a 49-26 record.