Houston Rockets star forward Kevin Durant said hitting the game-winning shot Monday night against the Phoenix Suns meant more because it came against his former team that he feels kicked him out.
Kevin Durant Never Wanted To Leave Phoenix
Durant knocked down a clutch 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining to give Houston the 100-97 home victory. The future Hall of Famer explained why it was a special shot when asked about it after the win.
“Most definitely,” Durant said. “A place that I didn’t want to leave. My first time — I don’t want to sound too dramatic, but I will — to be kicked out of a place.”
Durant, 37, joined the Rockets from Phoenix this summer in a historic seven-team trade that sent Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green to the Suns.
“It feels good to play against a team that booted you out of the building and scapegoated you for all the problems they had,” Durant said.
“And it hurt because I put all my effort and love and care towards the Suns and the Phoenix area and Arizona in general. But that’s just the business, that’s the name of the game. So, when you play against a [former] team, yeah, you got a chip on your shoulder.”
Durant spent 2½ seasons with the Suns after a trade from the Brooklyn Nets in February 2023. He was an All-Star in both of his full seasons in Phoenix, but the team failed to meet expectations.
Suns Traded Durant To Rockets After Big Three Experiment Failed
Despite establishing a new Big Three in Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Durant, the Suns lost in the first round of the postseason in 2023-24 and failed to reach the playoffs last season.
Over the summer, Phoenix also hired former Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott as its new head coach, marking the fourth different coach to lead the team in the last four years following the firings of Monty Brown, Frank Vogel, and Mike Budenholzer.
“It’s nothing but love for the players, but I want to beat that team,” Durant said. “I want to show them that I still got some juice in the tank. Even though I’m old, I still can play.
“I feel like every player has that mentality playing against their former team. I don’t think it’s malicious in any way towards them. But just as a competitor, you want to go out there and beat them.”
However, Durant said he hopes these feelings won’t linger much longer.
“By the time I get home tonight, I probably won’t even remember it,” he said. “Well, I will remember it, but I’ll try my best to forget about it and move on to the next one.”
Through 31 appearances with Houston this season, Durant is averaging 25.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 36.1 minutes per game while shooting 52% from the floor and 40.4% from beyond the arc.
The Rockets visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
