Despite being former teammates on the Phoenix Suns, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul have competitive moments when they face each other.
The Suns matched up with the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night. This meant that Durant and Paul faced off against one another. They played together at Phoenix during the 2022-23 season, but it ended after the team traded Paul to the Washington Wizards. They later sent him to the Golden State Warriors, Durant’s former team (2016-19).
They didn’t disappoint when it involves their fighting spirit. After the referees made an out-of-bounds call with about 3:30 left in the second quarter, Durant went up to Paul and erupted at him, causing the two to go back and forth with each other. This prompted their teammates and officials to break up the two before things escalated.
Kevin Durant and Chris Paul exchanging some words
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— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 21, 2025
Chris Paul had the last laugh over Kevin Durant with the Spurs beating the Suns 120-109 on Thursday.
Durant had an efficient shooting night, scoring 22 points while making nine of his 13 shot attempts. Royce O’Neale helped out with a team-high 27 points and six rebounds, while Bradley Beal put up 19 points and nine rebounds off the bench.
However, it wasn’t enough as seven Spurs scored in double-digits, including Paul. He finished with 13 points, 10 assists and five rebounds as De’Aaron Fox led the team with 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Phoenix fell to 26-29 on the season, holding the 11th spot in the Western Conference standings. They are two games behind the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings for two of the play-in spots.
Following the loss to the Spurs, marking their fourth straight, the Suns will look to rebound in their next matchup. They face the Chicago Bulls on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.
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