Kevin Durant Takes Blame for Suns' Horrid Game 6 Performance

When the Phoenix Suns traded for Kevin Durant back in February, the expectations for this team immediately became championship or bust.

However, the Suns' season ended in a whimper as they were eliminated last night by the Denver Nuggets - losing 125-100 on their home floor in an embarrassing Game 6.

"It was a bad feeling," Durant said following the loss. "It was embarrassing. They came out and got us in the mouth and we couldn't recover."

For Durant, last night was not his finest performance as he scored 23 points shooting 8-19 from the field. Throughout the entire second round series, Durant struggled with efficiency shooting 45.3% from the field and 22.2% from three.

“Just didn’t make shots,” Durant said. “It is all on me to be honest. I feel like I prepared the right way, I took the shots I want to take. Sometimes I probably rushed a lot of our looks, just playoffs trying to figure it out. At the end of the day, it is always going to fall back on me. I watch film throughout the summer, watch different actions that have been presented throughout the year and just see how I can keep improving.”

While the season ended in disappointment for Phoenix, Durant is prepared to work hard during this offseason to ensure the same result does not occur again next year.

“I just try to control what I can, which is working extremely hard,” Durant said. “Putting a lot of preparation into the game and my skill. Then just being present for the organization whenever they need me at any point, just making sure my phone is open. The dialogue is there; I am sure we will check in with each other throughout the whole summer. I just think my job is to continue to keep getting better and keep finding ways to get better as a player.”

The Suns may not have reached their ultimate goal of winning a championship, but with Durant coming mid-season it's hard to gain full chemistry in just a handful of games. 

Durant and the Suns will have a full year to gel and gain the necessary chemistry with each other before the 2024 playoffs.

Phoenix’s season only ended last night, but their path towards a championship next season starts now.