PHOENIX SUNS

Phoenix Suns look to ‘just try to contain’ Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant

Mar 6, 2014, 2:42 AM | Updated: 10:58 pm

PHOENIX — There may be some debate as to who is the best player in the game, but there can be no debate as to who is the best player in the Western Conference.

It’s Kevin Durant. And he’ll be in town Thursday.

“Obviously Durant is a handful,” head coach Jeff Hornacek said.

That’s putting it mildly.

Durant is the number one scoring threat in the league (31.7 points per game) on the number-one team in the West (Oklahoma City, 46-15).

He has nine 40-point games this season or eight more than the entire Suns team.

He has 26 30-point games this season or 16 more than the entire Suns team.

“You just hope he doesn’t go for 40 or 45 on you,” Hornacek said. “If you can keep him in the 28-30 range…then you feel okay.”

Given that criteria, the Suns must have felt somewhat okay with how they handled Durant in the first meeting. He scored 33 points (10-of-19 from the field, including 2-of-5 three-point shots plus 11-of-13 free throws), 10 though in the fourth quarter in which the Suns were outscored 36-26 and lost 103-96 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in what was the third game of the season.

“He’s probably leading the MVP race right now, so just try to contain him,” PJ Tucker said. “Try not to let everybody else on their team beat you, I guess, because he’s rolling right now.”

Durant, coming off a 42-point performance against Philadelphia, the fourth time in the past nine games he’s hit the 40-point mark, will be Tucker’s responsibility on Thursday; just as he was several years ago at the University of Texas.

It was Tucker, then a senior, who hosted Durant on his recruiting trip to Austin. Durant committed and the two have remained friends ever since.

“It’s cool always playing against your friends because you always want to get one-up on them, but he’s one of the best players in the league so I naturally get up for those,” Tucker said.

The Suns (35-25) have lost four of six, while giving up a combined 52.4 percent shooting.

The Thunder, meanwhile, have won three in a row. They are the third-best shooting (47.6) and fifth-best scoring (105.4) team in the league.

So what would Tucker consider a successful night defensively against Durant, who is on track to become the first player since Michael Jordan (1991-92) to average 30 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field?

“Winning. That’s all that matters,” Tucker said. “He can have 80, but if we win, I won.”

Phoenix Suns

Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets is guarded by Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns during th...

Kellan Olson

Suns respond to season’s low point with thorough win over Nuggets

The guessing game of which Suns team shows up on which night persists. The best current version did on Wednesday in a win over the Nuggets.

4 hours ago

Bradley Beal #3 of the Phoenix Suns looks on during the second half against the Boston Celtics at T...

David Veenstra

Bradley Beal in, Jusuf Nurkic out for Suns’ matchup with Nuggets

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal is active for Wednesday's matchup with the Denver Nuggets while center Jusuf Nurkic is out.

8 hours ago

Tyler Kolek, Marquette...

Damon Allred

Here’s who Phoenix Suns fans should watch in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

The Suns' first round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft sits at No. 19 overall, and they could select a star from the NCAA Tournament.

11 hours ago

Phoenix Suns take on San Antonio Spurs...

Arizona Sports

O’Neale: Phoenix Suns took Spurs ‘too lightly’ in glaring loss

The Phoenix Suns' lack of effort was on display Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs, leading to an honest film session.

1 day ago

...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: Royce O’Neale: Suns took Spurs “a little too lightly”

Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale joined Burns & Gambo to talk about the team's disappointing loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, and to look ahead at the team's remaining schedule, as they continue to make a push toward the NBA playoffs.

1 day ago

...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: How the Suns lost to the Spurs before they stepped on the court

Burns & Gambo react to the Phoenix Suns stunning loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, and try to figure out why it happened.

1 day ago

Phoenix Suns look to ‘just try to contain’ Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant