Is Kevin Durant playing tonight? Exploring 2x NBA champion's availability vs Pistons
With the NBA season just two weeks away, Kevin Durant and his teammates will take on the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night as they prepare for the grueling 82-game calendar. The two-time NBA champion will be tasked with leading the Phoenix Suns to their first-ever title next season. Tonight's preseason game will be a good test for Durant, who is healthy and will suit up against the Pistons.
The preseason offers coaches a chance to fine-tune their lineups and get a look at some of the rosters' fringe players, which means while Durant will feature in this contest, he will likely be limited in minutes.
This will be the Suns' second game of the preseason. Coach Mike Budenholzer's team defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 118-114 on Sunday at Acrisure Arena in California and will be looking to continue their hot streak against the Pistons on Tuesday.
Against the Lakers, Durant played a total of 14 minutes and racked up six points, five rebounds and two assists. He shot 3-10 from the field but missed all three of his 3-point attempts and was 0-1 from the free throw line.
The Suns forward looked out of sorts against the Lakers and will hope to get some quality minutes against Detroit as he looks to improve his form before the team's first regular season game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 23.
When healthy, Kevin Durant remains one of the league's most efficient and lethal scorers. He is a former NBA MVP and won two championships with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. The 36-year-old has also been named to the All-Star team on 14 occasions and has led the NBA in scoring in four seasons.
Last season, Durant featured in 75 games for the Suns and averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 blocks per game.
Kevin Durant was impressed with the Suns' younger players in NBA preseason
The Suns have added some key pieces over the offseason, and some talented players were brought in to complement the trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Tyus Jones, Monte Morris and Mason Plumlee will provide some depth to the lineup, but Durant was more impressed with the roster's younger players in Sunday's win over the Lakers.
After the Suns defeated the Lakers 118-114 in a thrilling encounter, Durant praised some of the team's rising stars.
"When you got young players, rookies out on the floor, you want to support them as much as possible," Durant said. "I love what the second unit did, third unit did, they were able to win us the game."
Oso Ighodaro, 22, was one of the Phoenix Suns' standout players. The rookie forward finished with 12 points, five assists and four rebounds over 26 minutes. The team's first-round pick, Ryan Dunn, also had a good game, finishing with nine points and three assists.