Steve Kerr Publicly Shames Kevin Durant To Credit Suns’ $70 Million Guard Who Might Be Traded at the Deadline

48 hours was enough for the Dubs nation to be on the moon after the win over OKC Thunder. All it needed was a ray of sun to yank them down to earth. Friday’s game against the Suns provided that much-needed gravity to do that, giving Steve Kerr yet another measure of the gravity of their situation. However, it was not the usual suspects who did the most damage, according to Warriors HC. For a change, he went in a different direction than praising his former player, Kevin Durant, in favor of another Suns star.

Wrong, in case you were wondering if Devin Booker was the one winning the plaudits from the Lebanon-born coach. It was actually Grayson Allen. It seems like his added 35 lbs over the summer is finally showing its effect on games. And you expect the 59-year-old coach to not notice it? During the 130-105 post-game press conference, Kerr downplayed Durant’s last night’s performance. He stated, “It was not a huge night for Kevin.” The 36-year-old, who is averaging over 27 points per game this season, could add only 19 points to the Phoenix scoreboard last night.

“But Kevin just does whatever’s necessary. In a game, he didn’t need to have a huge night,” Kerr added. Durant not only won two championships with the Warriors under him, but also claimed a gold medal for Team USA at the Paris Olympics, coached by Kerr. Yet, he didn’t hold back from pointing out his poor game.

Kerr didn’t overlook Booker’s game-high performance either, but it was Allen who stole the show for the coach. “I thought the key was obviously Book was tremendous, but felt like the key to the game was Beal and Grayson Allen coming off the bench early and knocking down shots. They got a big boost from their bench and that gave them some separation in the first half,” he said.

Though Allen’s impressive 11-6-7 stat line yesterday gave the Suns an edge, it doesn’t seem like the franchise will keep him around for too long. The Suns are eyeing a blockbuster trade that could help them secure the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Since Bradley Beal‘s no-trade clause hindered their chase for Heat star Jimmy Butler, there were speculations that Allen could become an asset the team might offer. The guard signed a $70 million contract with the Suns last year for four seasons and could prove valuable for the team in this trade window. However, Allen believes, “You just keep playing.” And that was the mindset they carried into the Bay Area.

Kevin Durant and the Suns dominated the Warriors

The two teams met for the third time this regular season, with the scores tied before they took the court. The Warriors were confident in front of their home crowd and had just defeated the Western Conference toppers. But Phoenix wasn’t easy to take down. They soon reflected their dominance on offense, ripping apart the Dubs’ defense.

Kevin Durant, who usually leads the team’s offense, couldn’t be their driving force. To a surprise, it was Booker who led the team with the highest points in the game, scoring 31. Even Bradley Beal was brought off the bench. In the 28 minutes he played, he showed he was ready to showcase his best for the team, despite the tensions surrounding his potential move.

On the flip side, the Warriors once again showed their inconsistency, with no one contributing 18 points or more. The highest scorers were Andrew Wiggins and Moses Moody, each with 17 points, while Stephen Curry added only 14 points. The performance does justify their stand on the table. Whereas the Suns are looking at the brighter side of things for now. Do you think the Suns can maintain their chemistry or is there a huge change incoming by the end of the trade deadline? Share your thoughts with us!