The Phoenix Suns, led by Devin Booker, charged at the Clippers last night and tied the series at one a-piece. Kevin Durant scored 25 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, dished 5 assists, blocked 2 shots, and got a steal last night. Not only that, but he was also guarding Kawhi Leonard.
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The Suns got together as a team, and figured out a way to beat the Paul George-less Clippers. They rallied the troops and leveled the series at home with a 123-109 Game 2 win.
Over the years, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard have matched up with each other a lot of times. However, due to their injuries, they met only once between the 2019 Finals and the 2023 Playoffs. After the practice today, KD was asked about matching up with Kawhi and more.
Kevin Durant gives Kawhi Leonard his flowers
One of the most exciting parts of the Suns-Clippers series is the matchup between Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant. These two superstars have been through a lot in the past few years, and have managed to fight their way back to the court and continue to dominate.
A reporter asked KD if there is a kinship because of their previous battles and what they’ve dealt with. Durant replied and said,
“Kawhi Leonard is a supreme athlete, works on his game, cares about the game…”
“I just think it’s respect — mutual respect for one another that’s based off of work ethic you hear for one another.”
I asked Kevin Durant whether he feels a certain kinship with Kawhi Leonard given their playoff battles and their journeys to work their way back from injury: pic.twitter.com/jxvV4wxxO0
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) April 19, 2023
It’s no surprise these two took the challenge of guarding each other and they have such respect for each other. After all, they have matched up 36 times in their careers.
Kawhi vs KD head-to-head
Over the course of their careers, KD and Kawhi have matched up 36 times. Out of these contests, 22 have come in the playoffs. Both KD and Kawhi have seven wins each in the regular season. However, Durant holds the edge over Kawhi in the playoffs.
In the 22 playoff games, KD holds the edge 13-9. They’ve played in 5 playoff series before, with this one being the 6th. In those series, KD has won three of them and Kawhi has two to his name.
This Clippers-Suns series can decide whether Kawhi ties it at 3-apiece or whether KD takes a 4-2 lead.
