Kevin Durant is many things, but NBA fans are roasting him for not being something that he should absolutely be when the game is on the line: a closeout defender.
The San Antonio Spurs have this generational talent named Victor Wembanyama. You might have heard of him. Word on the street is that he’s kind of, you know, good.
San Antonio and Wembanyama are supposed to be in a rebuilding season but don’t tell them that. They came to play, and that meant beating Durant and the Phoenix Suns in their own building.
The Suns manhandled the Spurs during most of Tuesday’s matchup until the Spurs went on a wild 18-7 run to win the game, one that ended with NBA fans questioning what in the world Kevin Durant was doing.
WHAT AN ENDING 😱
SPURS WIN pic.twitter.com/aT0wlTpMfF
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 1, 2023
In the last 14 seconds of regulation, Devin Vassell threw up a 3-point shot that was no good. Durant was the closest defender to the basket who could have snagged the rebound that might have iced the game.
Instead, Durant was caught basket-watching, and Wembanyama came sprinting from the baseline to dunk the ball as it came down. WOOF.
On the next play, Durant was swarmed on the inbound pass by several Spurs players. They snatched the ball away from him (and committed a foul that should have been called) and got it to Keldon Johnson for the game-winning basket. YIKES.
NBA fans were stunned and promptly roasted Durant for his mysterious lack of defense.