Kevin Durant returns from toe sprain Saturday

Kevin Durant returned from a two-game absence due to a sprained left big toe Saturday as his Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the Memphis Grizzlies, 85-74.

The Thunder struggled with the reigning MVP sidelined, narrowly defeating the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves and then dropping a game to the New York Knicks on Wednesday. The Thunder are now just 9-16 with Durant on the shelf, hardly surprising considering they're 8.8 points per-100 possessions better with him on the floor.

Durant's return is paramount to the Thunder making a push for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, something that looks more tenuous by the day. They currently sit four games out and the Phoenix Suns don't seem intent on slowing down any time soon, so every loss - particularly those to teams like the Knicks - are killers.

Durant is averaging 25.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 21 games (not including Saturday night) while shooting 51.9 percent overall and 39.3 percent on threes. While he's been tasked with a lesser load as he's worked through multiple injuries, Durant's efficiency metrics are nearly in line with those from his MVP campaign a year ago.