Kevin Durant has an up-and-down relationship with NBA fans, particularly those who have an active presence on social media. Well, there are plenty of them who are upset with the future Hall of Famer following the Phoenix Suns’ 125-119 comeback victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Bettors who were hoping to hit on their Durant parlays were sorely disappointed, as the two-time NBA Finals MVP had a statistically underwhelming night, at least by the standard of those who put money on him. He scored 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting to go along with five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal.
Considering the Suns overcame a 21-point deficit, one would have assumed that Durant had a bigger showing. He was averaging 29 points and 7.0 rebounds through his first four games before Thursday’s road matchup against the Clippers. Halloween belonged to Devin Booker, though (40 points, eight assists and three steals).
Durant does not have to glance at a sportsbook to know that he performed below the projected totals the odds makers set for him. The 14-time All-Star rubbed a little salt into the wounds of the unlucky losers, flashing his trademark sense of humor.
“Great dub Suns, and for my parlayers, better luck next time lol,” Durant posted on X after the win.
The Suns do not want Kevin Durant to be the hero every night
Despite his hot start, the 2014 MVP is not always going to be focused on posting monster numbers at 36 years of age. He will lean on Booker, Bradley Beal (out with an elbow sprain) and a red-hot role player like Royce O’Neale (21 points on 7-of-8 shooting) when necessary, thereby ensuring he has enough in the tank to lead Phoenix when the games matter most.
The most important takeaway from Thursday’s contest is that the Suns once again closed out their competition in the fourth quarter. Finishing games was a huge problem for them last season, but the squad is sporting the clutch gene under new head coach Mike Budenholzer in the early goings of the 2024-25 campaign. If this trend continues for the long haul, then Phoenix might morph into the matchup nightmare it was supposed to be a year ago.
The Suns will strive for a more straightforward showing in Saturday’s home game versus the Portland Trail Blazers. Kevin Durant should theoretically light up one of the weaker teams in the league, but as many people just learned the hard way, there are no certainties when it comes to No. 35.
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