On Tuesday night, the Phoenix Suns defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 119-117 at Footprint Center, a crucial game for both teams’ postseason aspirations. However, one of the main stories of the night had nothing to do with the game itself, but rather a heated exchange between Kevin Durant and Mike Budenholzer, during which the coach attempted to grab Durant’s arm, only for the forward to pull away. Following the speculation triggered by the incident, KD took to the media to express his frustrations and clarify the situation.
“That’s what usually happens when you don’t know the dynamics of a relationship,” Durant said during the post-game press conference, according to Fadeawayworld. “You catch something on TV, you get a quote, and now you pushing that narrative as if me and Bud don’t do that (expletive) all the time.”
Kevin then emphasized the trust he shares with Budenholzer, allowing them to have these exchanges. “He allows me as a player on the team, a veteran on the team, to voice my opinion. If we both didn’t care, we would never have stuff like that,” Durant continued. “We competitive as two individuals who want to see things done the right way, and sometimes my way ain’t the way that Bud want to do it and vice versa.”
The forward also criticized those who, he claimed, exploit these moments to create a narrative. “Even some people in Phoenix, in here, couldn’t wait to run with that and say, ‘This is the reason why the team ain’t playing well, because of that specific thing,’” Durant explained. “But come on man, that shows that me and Bud really care about trying to right this ship and trying to win basketball games… So, I’m glad that the win is going to sweep all of that stupid stuff under the rug.”
What did Budenholzer say about his argument with Durant?
At the post-game press conference, Mike Budenholzer was also asked about the argument with Kevin Durant and echoed a similar message to that of the forward. “He and I are like old friends or whatever, we’re always probably grabbing and talking to each other,” Budenholzer said.
The Suns head coach immediately praised Durant’s energy: “I thought actually his energy and his voice tonight was great. I think there was some kind of offensive play. He wanted something, I wanted something, and it’s the beauty of basketball.”
Suns’ expectations
Tuesday night’s win marks a positive step forward for Phoenix in its pursuit of a postseason berth. While the Suns are still on the outside looking in, they are not far from securing a spot in the Play-In Tournament. With a 29-33 record, the Suns sit in 11th place, just behind the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, and Sacramento Kings, all of whom are barely ahead of them.
However, Kevin Durant remains cautious about the team’s expectations. “Can’t think about the big picture too much,” he acknowledged during an interview with TNT after the game. “We’re in a tough position to think about the playoffs right now, so we gotta focus on each game, each task, each possession ahead of us and see what we can do.”