Kevin Durant didn’t spend much time celebrating the Rockets’ 109-93 win over the Boston Celtics before turning the postgame press conference into a testy back-and-forth.
The Houston star, who finished with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block, was asked by the Houston Chronicle’s Varun Shankar about another night in which he didn’t take many shots. Durant had attempted just six field goals, and it was the third time in four games he finished with fewer than 10 shot attempts.
That line of questioning did not sit well with him.
“Why does that matter to you?” Durant asked.
“… We won the game. So why are you singling me out?”
Durant then pushed back on the idea that the Rockets’ offense was simply about variety, pointing to Jabari Smith Jr. as an example. Smith had gone for 30 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday and then scored 14 against Boston, and Durant suggested the same logic could apply there.
Shankar responded by saying Smith isn’t the fifth-leading scorer in NBA history, which only sharpened Durant’s tone. When the reporter brought up the idea of teams using double-teams to keep him from taking over, Durant cut in again.
“Are you just watching me all game?” Durant asked. “… Do you have the solo cam on me?”
Shankar said it wasn’t meant as criticism, but Durant kept pressing the point. When the discussion turned to how his presence can create advantages for teammates even when he isn’t the focal point of the offense, Durant laid out his view of the situation.
“My presence on the court, regardless, is just opening up for everybody,” Durant said. “Soon as I step on the court.
So, they don’t have to give me the ball. They going to double team, they going to shade guys to me even when I don’t have the ball.
So, my presence alone is impactful to the game of basketball. I don’t have to shoot.
I don’t have to dribble.
“Just me being out there is going to cause a reaction on the defense,” Durant added. “And my team is taking advantage of it.”
After the exchange, Shankar later posted on X that Durant’s shot volume has been unusually low by his standards. He wrote: “Kevin Durant played 32 minutes and took just six shots - it’s just the second time in his career he’s played >30 min and taken that few shots,” and added, “He’s taken 10 or fewer FGAs in 4/8 games this season. His career high is seven.”
The numbers back up the unusual stretch. Durant is averaging 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.6 blocks per game for Houston in 2026-27, putting him on pace for his lowest scoring average since his rookie season, when he averaged 20.3.
Still, the Rockets keep rolling. The win over Boston lifted them to 7-1 and put them atop the Western Conference standings.
Durant wants a third championship, and the Rockets’ early success suggests he’s willing to keep fitting into whatever role helps get there. Houston’s next chance to keep the momentum going comes Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Toyota Center at 8:30 p.m. ET.
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