Phoenix Suns stars Devin Booker (left) and Kevin Durant (right)
Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns secured their third straight victory on Sunday, defeating the Orlando Magic 112-107. According to the former MVP, their success can be attributed to a simplification of their offense.
Sunday’s game marked the Suns’ fourth with their Big 3 of Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal available. The star trio were firing on all cylinders, combining for 77 points.
After the game, Durant touched on Phoenix’s game plan against the young, athletic Magic, who rank fifth in the league in defensive rating (110.6). He highlighted how the Suns made sure to take better care of the ball after ranking near the bottom of the league in turnovers per game.
According to the two-time NBA champion, Phoenix did so by playing sound basketball and not forcing anything offensively.
“We wanted to simplify the game, try not to do anything too tricky. Just make the simple play,” Durant said.
“These guys are long and athletic, and they like to get into the passing lanes and play in transition. So, I think we limited their transition opportunities by just keeping the ball in our hands and making solid plays.”
Phoenix finished with a season-low six turnovers, leading to just eight points for Orlando. Meanwhile, the Magic committed 15 turnovers leading to 16 points for the Suns.
Despite their impressive offensive display, the Suns still rank 23rd in turnovers (14.8 topg). So most would agree that they still have a lot of work to do in that regard. However, Sunday’s performance was certainly a step in the right direction.
Phoenix (17-15) will look to keep its momentum going when it hosts the Portland Trail Blazers (9-22) on Monday. Meanwhile, Orlando (19-13) will look to bounce back on the road against the Golden State Warriors (15-17) on Tuesday.
Kevin Durant raves about Paolo Banchero’s potential
During his postgame interview on Sunday, Kevin Durant also raved about Magic rising star forward Paolo Banchero. The 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year led Orlando with 28 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two 3-pointers on 52.2% shooting.
Durant highlighted Banchero’s offensive versatility for his size, adding that he expects big things from him.
“Yeah, he’s a force, especially when he’s got the 3-pointer going like that,” Durant said.
“He only had two free throws and he still had 28 points, 12-for-23 efficiency, nine [rebounds] and seven [assists]. He’s basically a point guard out there. … But he’s gonna be a force in the league for a long, long time.”
Through 32 games, Banchero is averaging 21.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.6 blocks and 1.3 3-pointers per game on 46.5% shooting. Given the Magic’s success, he should have a good chance of earning his first All-Star selection this season.
