You only have to listen to the “Ohhhhh”, a mixture of chagrin and admiration, from the Delta Center on the various shots of Kevin Durant to understand the performance of the Suns winger last night against the Jazz.
In a match where “no one defended”, according to the double MVP of the Finals himself, KD was able to show off his shooting quality against Lauri Markkanen and company. At halftime, he already had 24 points at 10/11 shooting, including 4/5 from distance. Without forgetting 6 rebounds, 5 assists and only one lost ball…
Logically less skillful in the second half, he still finished the match with 38 points at 15/22 shooting, including 6/8 from distance, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, and therefore only one lost ball.
A head shot
Showered with balls by Devin Booker, author of his career record in passes (15), Kevin Durant above all planted the “game winner” 18 seconds from the end. A 3-pointer on the head of Ochai Agbaji which put the Suns at +4 to seal the victory, thus returning to balance (6-6) and staying alive in the “In-Season Tournament”.
“I was in rhythm. I felt my 3-point shot well all evening. I missed one at the start of the fourth quarter, but I felt good when it left my hand, so I kept that in the back of my mind, that I wanted to try that shot again. I didn’t know when it would be but it was the time and I’m glad he’s home.” he explained at a press conference, after the match, on this decisive 3-pointer.
For Frank Vogel, Kevin Durant’s performance was simply impressive in its purity.
“A big shot and victory. It was a huge shot by a huge player but he was incredible all night. At halftime, he was 10/11 shooting. He really carried us, while making decisive actions in defense. Nine assists for a single ball loss, with this scoring production? It is very impressive. »
