Kevin Durant clearly had a message to send to the Suns. There are 5.1 seconds left between Houston and Phoenix, the two teams are tied, 97-97. “KD” obtains the ball following a throw-in. With two dribbles to his right, he shifts in front of Royce O’Nealewith Devin Booker not far away. He goes up for a 3-pointer and breaks the circle before celebrating with a smirk and a gesture that seems to mean: ‘Tell them to go home.’ The Rockets won thanks to their star, especially motivated by this poster against his former team.
Author of a good match, but clumsy from afar, Kevin Durant did not hesitate for a single moment to close the debates behind the arc, even though he was only 1/11 at the time. “ All my 3-point shots looked good when they left my hand » he reacted just after the buzzer. “ Some hit the back of the circle. But I told myself I was going to put one on at some point. I kept telling the team that I was going to put one on at some point. By the grace of God, it was the last. » The most important thing, that of winning at the end of a closely contested match.
Faced with his ex, Kevin Durant couldn’t pass up the opportunity to shine. And the last possession almost seemed written in advance, while the Suns did not put too much pressure on their former player. “I knew this shot was going to go in when I came out of the timeout”assure KDnt. “I knew that with the system that the coach had put in place, it was going to be difficult for them to rush at me and do a two-man catch. »
« He’s been doing this his whole career » recalled coach Ime Udoka, grateful. “ This is part of the reason why you sign him, the efficiency he brings to finishing meetings. You know you’re going to get a good shot, or he’s going to get a good shot for someone else when opposing teams are closing in on him. He is one of the best to achieve this, and the best players in history at the end of the match. When he comes off the screen and has a good position like this, there’s nothing the defense can do. He’s just going to put his shot in or not. »
“It feels good to play against a team that kicked you out”
« Does it mean more to take this shot against Phoenix? Very clearly » insists Kevin Durant, weighing his words. “ It’s a place I didn’t want to leave. I don’t want to overdo it, but get you kicked out somewhere… I feel like they wanted to make me their scapegoat for all the problems we had as a team last season. »
His trio with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal never took shape with the Suns, the experience ending without the slightest series of playoffs won in two years and an eleventh place in the West last season.
Relaunched on the subject, Kevin Durant drives the point home. “It feels good to play against a team that kicked you out and made you take the blame for all their problems. And it hurt me, because I gave all my energy and my love and my attention to the Suns and to Phoenix, and more generally to Arizona. But it’s business. »
“When you play against an old team, you have a weight on your shoulders”he continues. “You don’t want it to be too heavy and interfere with your game, or your teammates. But in the back of your mind, it’s there. I have nothing but love for these players, but I want to beat this team. I want to show them that I still have some in the tank, even though I’m old. I can still play. I believe that every player has this state of mind when he faces his former team. I don’t think it was malicious towards her. But as a competitor, you want to beat her, and do it on a victory shot like that…”
Clutch in more ways than one
This shoot will therefore keep a special flavor for Kevin Durant, but not only for him. “I told Kevin it was the best time I had as a Rocket”smiles Amen Thompson at a press conference. The hero of the evening procrastinates: “Yes, it feels good to beat them and get a shot to win, but it’s nothing more. It’s just a moment. It’s something I won’t think about tomorrow. »
The fact remains that this “moment” weighs heavily in the rankings: Houston needed a benchmark success to move away from the play-in zone, and push back its victim of the evening, now relegated to 2.5 victories. In Texas, Kevin Durant also says he found a franchise ready to welcome him with open arms after the bitterness of the end in Phoenix.
“Being booed here for so many years as an opponent, you know, it feels good to be here and get some love”he rejoices. “I love Houston. I love Texas. I’m grateful to play for the Rockets. »
| Kevin Durant | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | To | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2007-08 | OKC | 80 | 34:36 | 43.0 | 28.8 | 87.3 | 0.9 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 20.3 |
| 2008-09 | OKC | 74 | 38:59 | 47.6 | 42.2 | 86.3 | 1.0 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 25.3 |
| 2009-10 | OKC | 82 | 39:30 | 47.6 | 36.5 | 90.0 | 1.3 | 6.3 | 7.6 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 30.1 |
| 2010-11 | OKC | 78 | 38:57 | 46.2 | 35.0 | 88.0 | 0.7 | 6.1 | 6.8 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 27.7 |
| 2011-12 | OKC | 66 | 38:35 | 49.6 | 38.7 | 86.0 | 0.6 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 3.8 | 1.2 | 28.0 |
| 2012-13 | OKC | 81 | 38:30 | 51.0 | 41.6 | 90.5 | 0.6 | 7.3 | 7.9 | 4.6 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 28.1 |
| 2013-14 | OKC | 81 | 38:33 | 50.3 | 39.1 | 87.3 | 0.7 | 6.7 | 7.4 | 5.5 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 3.5 | 0.7 | 32.0 |
| 2014-15 | OKC | 27 | 33:49 | 51.0 | 40.3 | 85.4 | 0.6 | 6.0 | 6.6 | 4.1 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 25.4 |
| 2015-16 | OKC | 72 | 35:48 | 50.5 | 38.7 | 89.8 | 0.6 | 7.6 | 8.2 | 5.0 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 28.2 |
| 2016-17 | GS | 62 | 34:32 | 53.7 | 37.5 | 87.5 | 0.6 | 7.6 | 8.3 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 25.1 |
| 2017-18 | GS | 68 | 34:11 | 51.6 | 41.9 | 88.9 | 0.5 | 6.4 | 6.8 | 5.4 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 3.0 | 1.8 | 26.4 |
| 2018-19 | GS | 78 | 34:38 | 52.1 | 35.3 | 88.5 | 0.4 | 5.9 | 6.4 | 5.9 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 26.0 |
| 2020-21 | BKN | 35 | 33:03 | 53.7 | 45.0 | 88.2 | 0.4 | 6.7 | 7.1 | 5.6 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 26.9 |
| 2021-22 | BKN | 55 | 37:13 | 51.8 | 38.3 | 91.0 | 0.5 | 6.9 | 7.4 | 6.4 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 29.9 |
| 2022-23 | BKN | 39 | 35:58 | 55.9 | 37.6 | 93.4 | 0.4 | 6.4 | 6.7 | 5.3 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 29.7 |
| 2022-23 | PHO | 8 | 33:38 | 57.0 | 53.7 | 83.3 | 0.4 | 6.0 | 6.4 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 26.0 |
| 2023-24 | PHO | 75 | 37:13 | 52.3 | 41.3 | 85.6 | 0.5 | 6.1 | 6.6 | 5.0 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 1.2 | 27.1 |
| 2024-25 | PHO | 62 | 36:32 | 52.7 | 43.0 | 83.9 | 0.4 | 5.7 | 6.0 | 4.2 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 26.6 |
| 2025-26 | NEW | 30 | 36:02 | 52.3 | 42.3 | 89.4 | 0.3 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 25.7 |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
