THE Phoenix Suns won 128-115 at home against the short-handed Atlanta Hawks despite Kevin Durant producing another subpar performance. Durant finished with 19 points and five turnovers, shooting 5 of 15, including 2 of 8 from 3-point range.
It was the fourth time in five games he shot below 50.0% and the third time he scored under 20 points. His turnover rate has also increased. He made four in Wednesday’s 115-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Durant hasn’t looked like himself in recent games, which is an anomaly for a player of his caliber.
He’s had a rare night or two off, but five straight games where he’s struggled is potentially the worst stretch of his illustrious career. by Durant This inconsistency has led NBA Twitter to wonder if the 35-year-old is gradually regressing with age after playing 63 of 70 games this year.
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After Thursday’s listless performance, NBA Twitter denounced the former MVP with the following reactions:
Fatigue could set in for Kevin Durant after playing 35 consecutive games. He only missed seven outings all year, which is rare in recent seasons. Durant has played in 63 games, the most since the 2018-19 season when he was with the Golden State Warriors before his Achilles injury.
Should the Suns be worried about Kevin Durant’s fitness and health?
Kevin Durant is an integral part of the Suns’ chances of winning a championship. There is no debate that this is the case Devin Booker’s team and he is their leader on offense. But Durant’s pedigree and experience as a champion will be the deciding factor come playoff time.
However, age is not in Durant’s favor. At 35 years old, especially after the injury-riddled seasons since 2019, KD needs some rest before the playoffs begin. But the Suns can’t afford that, with their big three not having played much and still struggling to dominate teams as expected before the season.
The Suns couldn’t get past the crippled Atlanta Hawks, who were without their best player, Trae Young, and starting forwards Jalen Johnson and Saddiq Bey. It was a neck-and-neck game until the third quarter before the Suns regained momentum in the fourth.
This has been a trend for Phoenix against all of its opponents. It is therefore doubtful that the Suns will finish in the top six in the Western Conference standings. They are now seventh, with a 41-29 record, three games ahead of the LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors in ninth and tenth.
As their struggles continue against the underdogs, Kevin Durant is unlikely to get much rest before the playoffs. This is a cause for concern for the Suns, as fatigue could prevent the two-time champion from playing to his potential.
