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Kevin Durant appears to be struggling to find his rhythm and chemistry with his teammates ...

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 14:28 PM

Yahoo Sports: All You Need for the Latest in Sports

Kevin Durant appears to be struggling to find his rhythm and chemistry with his teammates in Phoenix.

The Suns star was spotted ripping his arm away from head coach Mike Budenholzer and getting into a brief spat with the longtime NBA coach during a timeout in their 119-117 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.

It’s unclear what led to the incident specifically, though TNT reporter Stephanie Ready said on the broadcast that the two had a “discussion” over an apparent “miscommunication” on the court.

Kevin Durant and Mike Budenholzer pic.twitter.com/LDSebVGEev

— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) March 5, 2025

Full video of the exchange isn’t much better, though it did show the two seemingly making up during the timeout.

MUST SEEHere's the FULL VIDEO exchange with Kevin Durant and Mike Budenholzer...

Bud grabs KD arm.. KD pulls it away... what the broadcast DID NOT show you --- after the TV timeout, our camera caught KD tapping Bud to talk. @12SportsAZ pic.twitter.com/9tyWmcm1G1

— Cameron Cox (@CamCox12) March 5, 2025

Still, a head coach and a star player like Durant disagreeing publicly is never a great sign, but Durant addressed the matter after the game when asked and predictably downplayed the incident.

pic.twitter.com/u2mvnNIoqR

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) March 5, 2025

The Suns ended up rallying out of a 23-point hole to grab a two-point win. Durant finished with 34 points, 19 of which came in the fourth quarter. It also marked the largest fourth-quarter comeback in team history.

Devin Booker added 17 points and eight assists for Phoenix in the win. Nick Richards finished with 16 points and seven rebounds, and Mason Plumlee added 14 points off the bench. Ivica Zubac led the Clippers with 35 points and 10 rebounds, and James Harden had 21 points and 15 assists.

Durant and the Suns appear to be on a path toward a split this summer. It looked like the Suns were going to trade him at the deadline to the Golden State Warriors, however that deal then quickly fell apart. Durant later confirmed that he didn’t want to return to the Warriors simply because he didn’t want to move.

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But the Suns have been struggling, and the team is reportedly set to make a move to deal Durant this summer. Despite their win Tuesday, the Suns have lost 11 of their last 15 games and sit at just 29-33 on the season. They are currently on pace to miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 campaign, which was finished in the COVID-19 bubble at Walt Disney World. The combo of Durant, Booker and Bradley Beal — which seems like it should be fantastic on paper — just hasn't worked out this season.

They got the win and both Durant and Budenholzer appeared to smooth things over, but things are not great in Phoenix.

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