Houston, Texas, NBA legend Kevin Durant has made a career out of silencing arenas with cold-blooded jumpers, but Monday night felt different even by his own standards. When the Houston Rockets edged the Phoenix Suns 100-97, it was Durant who delivered the dagger, and afterward, he did not shy away from explaining why this one hit a little deeper.
Kevin Durant has hit plenty of game-winning shots over the course of his career, but this one came with emotional baggage. Facing his former team always adds spice, yet this matchup carried extra weight because of how his time in Phoenix ended. Speaking with the media shortly after the win, the 37-year-old made it clear that this was not just another late-game NBA moment.
According to TMZ, “It most definitely” had more meaning than the average game-winning shot, the Texas baller said, especially considering he had no desire to leave the team before the July 2025 trade. That detail matters because it frames his frustration not as bitterness, but as something rooted in feeling pushed out rather than choosing to move on.
Texas NBA Star Kevin Durant Had Some Words for His Former Team
“I don’t mean to sound too dramatic, but I will,” he said. “To be kicked out of a place and feel like I’d been scapegoated for the issues we had as a team last year, yeah, it felt good to beat them and hit a game-winning shot.”
That word scapegoated says a lot. In a league where stars are often praised as saviors or blamed as villains, Durant is clearly suggesting that the Suns’ struggles last season landed unfairly on his shoulders. For someone who has spent years under the brightest spotlight, that kind of narrative can linger. Monday night gave him a chance to flip it, at least for one evening. However, some fans just seem fed up with Durant on X. “KD is never the problem,” sarcastically wrote one. It would seem as though some think that Durant is a locker-room issue for whatever team he is on.
Still, Durant was careful not to let the moment define him moving forward. He admitted he would enjoy the feeling, but only briefly. “Tomorrow I wouldn’t even think about it,” he said. That mindset is classic KD. Feel it, acknowledge it, then move on. No long victory laps, no extended grudges. Just basketball and the next challenge.
What also stood out was how comfortable Durant seems in his new environment. Despite his feelings toward the Suns and how his tenure ended, it is clear he is embracing life in Houston. The Rockets crowd made that obvious, showering him with MVP chants after the win.
“Being booed in here so many years, being an opposing player being booed, you know, it feels good to come out here, I love Houston, I love Texas,” Durant said. He also added that he is “grateful for representing the Rockets,” a statement that signals real appreciation rather than generic postgame talk.
Kevin Durant Has Love For Texas
There is something poetic about that shift. For years, Houston was a hostile building for Durant. Now it is home, and the cheers have replaced the boos. In a league where fan loyalty can swing fast, moments like that underline how quickly narratives change when a superstar puts on a new jersey.
On the court, the Rockets are backing up the good vibes with results. They currently sit fourth in the Western Conference, a position that reflects both strong team play and Durant’s impact. His leadership and late-game confidence are exactly what a rising team needs, and Monday’s shot was a reminder of why he is still one of the most feared closers in the game.
Up next, Durant and the Rockets will get a day to rest and recover before taking on the Trail Blazers in Portland on Wednesday night. The schedule moves on, just like Durant says he will. But even if he claims he will not think about it tomorrow, this was one of those nights that sticks. A former squad, a clutch shot, and a little personal vindication. For Kevin Durant, it felt good, and sometimes that is all that needs to be said.
