The Phoenix Suns’ victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night was a long time coming as they overcame a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win 119-117. a rival who has previously caused them problems with their combination of youthful energy, offensive fluidity, and capacity to play through Domantas Sabonis, their center.
Despite Grayson Allen’s 29 points keeping the team afloat earlier in the game when no one else was having any success, Kevin Durant was at his best late in the game to seal the victory. His four 3-pointers came in handy when the Suns needed them most, and his flawless 9-of-9 shooting from the free-throw line helped them win.
For the majority of the fourth quarter, Durant operated as a center, and it is obvious that he will continue to be deployed in this capacity come playoff time.
The concerning aspect of Durant’s lack of depth at the center position going into the season was how much he would have to go inside and hit with stronger opponents every single night at the age of 35. Jusuf Nurkic, however, dispelled doubts about his ability to play consistently by starting nearly every game this season.
To the extent that it appears as though everyone has forgotten that, even though head coach Frank Vogel undoubtedly doesn’t want to use Durant in this capacity frequently throughout the regular season, he can and will do so once the playoffs begin. The victory over the Kings seemed like a turning moment for the Suns in the season, but they still need to make sure they advance to the real postseason.
For the fourth quarter, Durant faced a favorable matchup in Sabonis, and when Alex Len, a previous lottery choice of the Suns, was in the game, for instance, Chimezie Metu was usually the one assigned to play man-to-man defense against him. It is reasonable to note, then, that Durant’s performance in a seven-game series against players like Nikola Jokic and even Anthony Davis is quite different.
The best lineup for the Suns is unlocked by Durant at the five, and it might even do so on both sides of the court. With Nurkic on the bench and Durant in his place, coach Vogel was able to play Eric Gordon in addition to the fast-rising Allen. With nine made three-pointers, Allen scored the majority of the team’s 36 points from beyond the arc.
The Kings had to pay the price for choosing their poison, as two sharpshooters surrounded Bradley Beal and Devin Booker’s offensive prowess. Although that seems like a figure the Suns might attack, which they did, they are just one spot above them with a rating of 115.4. This season, they rank 17th in defensive rating (115.9).
If Durant plays more minutes in the middle, it will be interesting to watch if that figure goes in the right way. He undoubtedly made a difference there, and Booker and Beal both made defensive steals and deflections that changed the outcome of this specific game.
Although the Kings aren’t exactly a model team for winning at the greatest level, the Suns can nonetheless improve upon what has worked for them. With an offensive rating of 118.6, the Kings had the highest in league history the previous season. With shooters like Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter surrounding star point player De’Aaron Fox and the incredible passing of Sabonis, this was built upon his incredible legacy.
With Durant at center, is there anything the Suns can’t do precisely the same? While he may not pass as well as Sabonis does, he still has some of the league’s top scoring skills. Durant has Booker and Beal to work with in place of Fox, while Allen and Gordon are passable backup shooters. When that’s going strong, coach Vogel is aware that not many opponents in the West can stop it.
Because of this, Durant might not play center stage much more during the regular season—unless they have a stretch where they need to close out a lead or decide to change up this lineup as the postseason draws near. When Durant was a member of the Golden State Warriors, they had maybe the most lethal lineup ever.
He’ll play a different role this time, but there’s no reason he can’t do it again. one in which his play in the middle is the focal point of the offense. Most importantly, this provides the Suns with an additional means of inflicting damage on opponents—possibly their most effective approach—which will be crucial in a protracted series against any team they play in the future.
