Kevin Durant, who turned 37 years old on Tuesday, made his long-awaited Houston Rockets debut on Wednesday night. When it was announced, all of us thought that would be a great night. Finally, the Rockets’ fight against the Oklahoma City Thunder was a nail-biting contest that went all the way to double overtime. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough, as Houston lost 106-103. The most notable part of Durant’s performance was the series of awful mistakes that he blamed for the loss.
In a one-point game at the very end of the contest, Durant caught a critical defensive board with just 2.2 seconds remaining on the clock. He followed that up by calling a timeout, except Houston was out of timeouts. This blunder elicited a round of boos from the audience of 18,203 at the karaoke box, the Toyota Center. The Thunder took advantage of the window provided by the mix-up. Durant then fouled Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who hit a short jumper with 2.6 seconds remaining, tying the game and sending it to overtime.
Durant was hit-or-miss in general tonight, but still finished with 23 points on a highly efficient 9-of-16 from the field. He couldn’t even feel the pressure at the free-throw line. With Houston up one point, he missed the first of two. But he was able to make the second free throw, putting the Rockets up by two — at least for a moment. Even with these contributions, Durant still couldn’t shake the feeling that his mistakes overshadowed his contributions.
“I missed the free throws, and I fouled somebody at the end,” – Kevin Durant
Following the game, the long-time pro sounded like a rookie after breaking down his play. He identified two key errors that he thought had lost Houston the game. He acknowledged that he had to be better disciplined when it came to high-pressure situations.
“Fouled Shai, put them up one. I’ve got to stay down, be more disciplined [with] those opportunities to get a stop to seal the game,” – Kevin Durant
Durant’s fouling problems came to a head when he fouled out with only 2.3 seconds remaining in double OT. Without their star player, Houston had a hard time closing the game out strong. He understood more than anyone the importance of showing up and being a role model. After all, it’s not always about hitting all the home runs.
“I’m not expected to make every big shot in every close game. I just feel like my presence out there can ease the tension for everybody and we can make plays. Some nights, it’s going to be my night in the fourth. Some nights, it’s going to be Alpi’s,” – Kevin Durant
Though he was definitely having a tough time, Durant’s teammates understood the havoc he could still wreak on the court. Based on the comments from the Rockets coaching staff and players, they are really looking forward to getting him into their system going forward.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had the dagger to put Houston away on his shorts. He weighed in on Durant’s bad foul call and explained why he’s been searching for answers on the timeout signaling.
“I think definitely he called timeout about three times — verbally and physically with his hands,” – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Durant’s performance also represented his first start at guard since 2009. His experience and skill set brought a new element to the Rockets’ offense. This is a great, if somewhat obvious, adjustment as he continues to learn how to play within the context of the team.
Durant was obviously upset about the team’s loss as well as his individual mistakes. One thing is for sure, he wants to get better and make the team for years to come.
“It’s incredible. We’re gonna need that from him as much as we can. Getting downhill, making plays,” – Kevin Durant
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