Chris Paul had high praise for Kevin Durant after the Phoenix Suns defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 29.
Paul said it was a “great feeling” to have Durant back in the lineup after the two-time Finals MVP missed 10 games with an ankle injury.
“Man it’s a great feeling man,” Paul told Arizona Sports after the Suns-Timberwolves game. “I just genuinely enjoy him, you know what I mean? Regardless, just having that basketball mind out there, knowing what he’s capable of, hell I guarded him in playoff series, so I know what he can do. He just play the right way. It was times where I was pushing the ball up the court, looking for him, and he was like, ‘Go!’ So it’s gonna be an adjustment where we’re gonna figure it out.”
Durant played 29 minutes against the Timberwolves, finishing with 16 points and eight rebounds while shooting 5-of-18 from the field and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. The Suns are now 4-0 with KD in the lineup.
Chris Paul on Kevin Durant: ‘That’s a Guy Who Commands a Lot of Attention’
Paul told Sam Amick of The Athletic that Durant is a “guy who commands a lot of attention.” Phoenix now has a Big 4 of Paul, Durant, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton.
“Yeah, I mean it showed (pauses)… I mean, you’re playing with me, Book, DA, and KD, (so) you get a lot more open shots than you’d ever thought, you know what I mean? That’s a guy who commands a lot of attention,” Paul said. “So the more games we get with him, we’ll figure it out – figure out how to play, positioning, how to defend. I think everybody thinks about offensively what he brought, but he brought a lot to the defensive side.
The Suns improved to 41-35 after beating the Timberwolves. They are in fourth place in the Western Conference standings.
Kevin Durant on the Suns: ‘We Got to Target on Our Back’
Durant told Shams Charania of The Athletic that the Suns have a target on their back now.
“I feel pretty good,” Durant said. “I know we gotta bring it every night now. We got to target on our back. So it’s still somewhat … a little anxious, a little anxiety coming into each game. Just because you want to be at your best, and you know everybody is targeting us. I’m looking forward to the challenge. We all are. … I take it one day at a time. I don’t even look at windows. I’m not talking about championships. I’m focused on: How can we be great, how can we maximize every day.”
Durant is averaging 29.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists on the season with the Brooklyn Nets and Suns. The future Hall of Famer has been watching a lot of Michael Jordan highlights lately.
“I’m watching college more so than anything,” Durant said. “A lot of NBA stuff too. A lot of MJ (Michael Jordan), a lot of Kob’ (Kobe Bryant). I watch a lot of MJ highlights. It’s always good to see what’s going on from the outside perspective. When you’re in the game, it’s hard to figure out what’s going on around you, so you look at film and it gives you a clearer view. It also looks at other players.”
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Chris Paul Reacts to Kevin Durant’s Comeback in Suns’ Win Over Timberwolves