Kevin Durant, Suns Hope to Keep Building as Regular Season Concludes
We've already seen Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant in uniform, though yesterday provided Suns fans the opportunity to see him on their home court.
The last time we saw Durant in action, he dropped a cool 37 points and appeared to have seamlessly molded himself into Phoenix's lineup. After finally getting over his sprained MCL, Durant was on track to help the Suns potentially fight for better playoff positioning.
However, a sprained ankle further put Durant out for three more weeks. After the win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Durant opened up to reporters on how frustrating it's been to miss time.
“Yeah, it was frustrating. I have been through injuries and rehab before. I just try to go in there every day and be the best that I can in rehab. Focus on that; when I am ready to play, I am ready to play. I’m looking forward to keep building though, man. I have been in and out of the lineup for me since last January. I want to get some consistent minutes with the guys and some good reps with the guys," he said.
Though the Suns got the win, Durant's play wasn't anything to put in lights in the first half after starting 2-11 from the field. He eventually found his groove and finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Did nerves play a factor?
“Yeah, I was just saying that to the guys in the locker room; it was hard for me to get sleep today, hard for me to stop thinking about the game. Sometimes you can want it too bad, and you come out there and start rushing, being uncharacteristic," Durant said.
"Glad I am back, glad I am in the zone of playing again, being around the guys, being one of the guys again. Just keep building from here.”
Despite the sluggish start, Durant was still able to help the team in other ways. Offensively, the spacing he provides other players in Phoenix's lineup is unmatched while Durant's defensive acumen doesn't got unnoticed.
Durant believes he's fitting in just fine.
“Pretty good. I think I can provide some versatility to the group, rebounding as well. We are all on the same page. We had a few mistakes but that happens in the game. For the most part, we are on the same page to hold this team to 100 points. I think they won four or five in-a-row. That is pretty good for us. Keep building on that," he said.
Durant and the rest of the Suns will be back in action on Friday night when they host the Denver Nuggets.
