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Kevin Durant Makes Honest Admission About Suns' NBA Playoff Chances

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Mar 5, 2025 10:04 AM ET

If the NBA Playoffs were to start today, the Phoenix Suns and Kevin Durant would not qualify. Throughout his career, Durant's team has only missed the playoffs three times.

One of those instances, Durant only played 27 games due to an injury. The other two times were during his first two seasons in the league. Although Durant missed the entire 2020 NBA season, his Brooklyn Nets still made the playoffs that year.

So, Durant is in uncharted territory, as the Suns are sitting three games behind the Dallas Mavericks for the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. However, on Tuesday, the Suns improved their playoff chances with a significant win over the Los Angeles Clippers, winning 119-117. Durant contributed with 34 points and seven rebounds. After the game, he emphasized that the Suns cannot afford to focus on the postseason just yet.

"We can't think about the big picture too much," Durant said. "We are in a tough position to be thinking about the playoffs right now. So, we have to be focused on each game, each task, each possession ahead of us and see what we can do. If we think too far down the line, we are going to forget where we are at."

Although the Suns are not experiencing the season Durant had hoped for, the 36-year-old star is having an impressive individual performance. Durant is averaging 26.9 points, six rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He is also shooting 52.7% from the field and 39.8% from three-point range.

With injuries affecting Dallas Mavericks stars Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, there is an opportunity for Phoenix to make a late-season push. However, they will have to navigate the toughest strength of schedule in basketball during March and April.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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