"Going to be aggressive": Kevin Durant asserts Suns Big 3 will punish teams for playing them 1v1
Kevin Durant has a stern message for the opposition who would play the Phoenix Suns' trio — Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and himself — 1v1. Speaking to the media in the aftermath of the 117-110 win against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, Durant and Booker addressed the Pacers' defense and how they approached the situation. Durant dished out 40 points, studded with nine rebounds and two assists. Booker and Beal had 26 and 25 points respectively as the Suns recorded their fifth straight win and improved to 24-18 and seventh in the West.
Durant had a simple message as he highlighted why playing 1v1 was a bad strategy against three of their mercurial players. He said:
"I feel like they played us straight up and when teams do that, we're going to be aggressive."
Durant had a monstrous night against the Pacers, chalking up an effortless and clinical 40 points on 72.0% shooting, including 57.1% from beyond the arc. He also added three blocks, while the most impressive feat for the night was his lack of shots from the charity stripe.
With the win, the Suns demonstrated what it would be like if they were at their full strength and how one of the trio having a big night, supplemented by good performances from the other two, would be enough to decimate their opponents.
Devin Booker reacts to Kevin Durant's impressive 40-point outing
Speaking to Phoenix Suns reporter Gelard Bourguet after their fifth straight win, Devin Booker shared his thoughts on Kevin Durant's performance, saying:
"Super impressive, but at the same time, it doesn't surprise me. The efficiency is on a whole another level."
35-year-old Kevin Durant hit a historic feat, becoming the oldest player to score 40 points with no free throws and becoming the 14th player in league history to score that many points without an attempt from the free throw line.
This season, Durant is averaging 29.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. His last five games have seen him average 26.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists.
Such has been the dominance that Devin Booker asserted his power on the New Orleans Pelicans last week with a season-high 52 points. Together with Beal and Booker, this might be Kevin Durant's best shot at winning his third title while Phoenix will hope to get their first.
With Beal now healthy and consistent in his performances, the Suns will believe they have the necessary firepower to make a deeper run in the playoffs and hopefully lift the Larry O'Brien later this year.