The Minnesota Timberwolves handed the Houston Rockets their second loss of the season on Wednesday.
Six players scored in double digits for the Timberwolves, led by Ayo Dosunmu’s 21 points. LaMelo Ball had 20 points and six assists, while Bones Hyland scored 19 points off the bench.
Kevin Durant had a team-high 21 points in the Rockets’ 117-107 defeat. Alperen Sengun dropped a triple-double of 17 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists but was 5-for-15 from the field.
Kevin Durant Shows Respect to Jaden McDaniels
In his postgame media availability, Kevin Durant gave Jaden McDaniels his flowers on defense. Durant has a lot of respect for how the Timberwolves star prides himself on guarding the best players.
“That’s why I love playing with Minnesota,” Durant said via Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle. “Jaden McDaniels stands up on his own and guards, doesn’t ask for help, don’t say nothing. He just plays, and I really respect him.”
Durant went 7-for-14 from the field against the Timberwolves but had four turnovers. McDaniels went straight up on defense against KD, unlike what the Boston Celtics did on Monday, which was double-teaming him.
Kevin Durant This Season
It’s Year 20 for Kevin Durant, and he’s scoring the fewest points per game of his career since he was a rookie.
Durant is averaging 20.8 points, but he can still score at will. He’s shooting 52.7 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from 3-point range this season. He’s also taking the fewest shots of his career at just 12.4 per game, though it seems to be by design.
With opposing teams usually putting two men on Durant, it frees up the Rockets’ offense. Jabari Smith is having a breakout campaign, while Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Fred VanVleet can do their thing.
Durant is going with the flow of the game, and the Rockets are winning early. They are 7-2 to start the season and are near the top of the West standings.
Jaden McDaniels This Season
In nine games this season so far, Jaden McDaniels is putting up a career-high 16.4 points per game. McDaniels has been tasked with scoring more due to Anthony Edwards’ sudden absence due to knee surgery.
McDaniels is also posting career highs in rebounds and assists, as well as his field goal percentage at 52.5 percent. The only downside is that his 3-point shooting is at a career low of 30.8 percent.
Nevertheless, McDaniels is tasked with slowing down their opponents’ best perimeter threat every night.
Rockets Superstar Kevin Durant Shows Major Respect for Jaden McDaniels