On Friday night, the Phoenix Suns hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves at their home court in Arizona for Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.
Former MVP Kevin Durant marked his 169th playoff appearance, surpassing Michael Cooper on the all-time playoff games list. This achievement puts him on par with Dennis Rodman, Kevin McHale, Al Horford, and Danny Green, tied at 26th place.
Durant, now in his second season with the Suns, concluded the regular season with impressive averages of 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game. Throughout 75 games, he maintained shooting percentages of 52.3% from the field and 41.3% from beyond the arc.
Despite their solid regular-season performance, the Suns entered the playoffs as the sixth seed in the competitive Western Conference, boasting a record of 49-33.
However, the Suns faced challenges against the Timberwolves, trailing 2-0 after losing the first two games at the Target Center.
In Game 2, the Timberwolves secured a 105-93 victory over the Suns.
Durant contributed 18 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block while shooting 6 for 15 from the field and 0 for 2 from three-point range, logging 41 minutes of playtime.
Originally selected as the second overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft from the University of Texas, Durant has had a distinguished career, playing for multiple teams including the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, and Brooklyn Nets.
Throughout his illustrious career, Durant has maintained remarkable averages of 27.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. Across 1,061 regular-season games, he has showcased shooting efficiencies of 50.1% from the field and 38.7% from three-point range.
