Kevin Durant sat and grinned, trying to speak loud enough in a raucous locker room.
“We’re excited because we finally got a win,” stated Durant.
Durant scored a season-high 41 points as the Phoenix Suns defeated the Detroit Pistons 120-106 on Sunday (Monday, Manila time) to stop a three-game losing run.
Recap of the Suns vs. Pistons game
“It’s not fun losing one in a row, let alone three,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said.
Phoenix was missing its injured backcourt of Devin Booker (calf) and Bradley Beal (back), so a trio of guards took advantage of increased playing time and shooting.
Eric Gordon led all scorers with 21, Grayson Allen had 14, and Josh Okogie had ten.
“We’re doing it by committee,” Durant admitted.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 26 points, six assists, and six turnovers in their fourth straight loss.
After meeting in the preseason, Detroit coach Monty Williams met his former team for the first time in the regular season.
“These are really cool games to be a part of,” stated Williams before the game.
Williams, on the other hand, was displeased after the game.
“They were tougher than us,” he said. “They played harder than we did in stretches, pretty much most of the game.”
Durant scored 13 points in the first quarter to give the Suns a one-point lead. He made 14 of 27 attempts. The superstar was desperate to help them rebound after losses to Philadelphia on Saturday and San Antonio in consecutive home games.
“He, like the rest of us, is tired of losing,” Vogel told me. “He really imposed his will.”
Durant stated that he was not alone
“We all had that mentality,” he admitted.
Gordon scored 11 points in the second quarter to increase the margin to 58-49 at the half.
Durant scored 18 points in the third quarter to give Phoenix a 12-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, allowing them to cruise to a much-needed victory. He made 12 of 12 free throw attempts.
“We had too many situations where we missed assignments,” Williams admitted. “When you don’t know an assignment on Kevin Durant, that’s a problem.”
Marcus Sasser, a rookie reserve for the Detroit Pistons, set a season high with 22 points.
“He’s a handful,” Vogel admitted. “We know he can do it. We missed his catch and shoot, and he made us pay. He could also produce offense in the pick and roll. He’s a fantastic player.”
Ausar Thompson scored 14 points for the Pistons, and Killian Hayes added 13 points.
Jalen Duren of Detroit, who had 12 points and 11 rebounds, was dismissed midway through the fourth quarter after receiving a second flagrant foul.