The NBA playoffs are set to begin on April 16, and one of the most anticipated matchups in the opening round is between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Clippers, featuring superstar forwards Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard. Durant spoke about his upcoming matchup with Leonard, acknowledging the latter’s development as a superstar in the league.
Durant praised Leonard’s abilities, calling it “cool” to watch his career develop but also admitting that it’s tough to play against him. The Suns, despite being the fourth seed, are considered the favorites to make it out of the Western Conference and secure a spot in the NBA finals. However, they face a significant challenge in the opening round, as the Clippers are expected to be without superstar forward Paul George.
In George’s absence, Leonard has stepped up his game, averaging 24.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game in his last eight outings. Durant and Leonard last faced off in the 2019 NBA finals, where Durant suffered an Achilles injury in Game 5, and Leonard led the Toronto Raptors to a championship.
Durant has praised Leonard’s abilities in the past, stating that players don’t sleep on him and that he always has the longest scouting report to analyze. He also noted that it’s still tough for him to pull out all his moves against Leonard, and he has to play as hard as he can against him.
The Suns face a challenging task in the opening round of the playoffs, but with players like Devin Booker and Chris Paul leading the way, they have a good chance of making it to the NBA finals. The showdown between the Suns and the Clippers promises to be an exciting one, with Durant and Leonard going head-to-head in what could be an epic battle between two of the top forwards in the game.
The Unstoppable Force of Kevin Durant: A Closer Look at the NBA Star’s Dominance in Playoff Matchups Against Kawhi Leonard
In the Western Conference playoffs, former NBA champions Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard will face off in the first round. The Phoenix Suns, led by Durant, secured the fourth seed with a 45-37 record, while Leonard’s Clippers qualified fifth with a 44-38 record.
Durant holds a 19-15 head-to-head advantage over Leonard in their 34 games played in the regular season and playoffs combined. In these games, Durant has outscored, out-rebounded, and recorded more assists than Leonard 20, 6, and 17 times, respectively. Leonard has only edged Durant in one category, steals, 15 times.
Their best game against each other was during the Raptors’ 131-128 OT win over the Warriors in November 2018, where Durant scored 51 points, while Leonard had 37 points. The duo’s last meeting was in February 2021, where Durant’s Brooklyn Nets defeated Leonard’s Clippers 124-120, with Durant scoring 28 points and Leonard scoring 33 points.
Who will come victorious? Let us know your thoughts regarding the fierce rivalry between the duo.
