Late Christmas night, following a series of NBA games, the Phoenix Suns capitalized on their long-range shooting, sinking their first six 3-point attempts in a 110-100 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
Suns star Kevin Durant, who scored 27 points, addressed the team’s strategy and the broader conversation around 3-point shooting in the NBA.
“Yeah, we know fans hate 3s, but we generated a lot of them (Wednesday night), just getting into the paint and kicking out,” Durant said, via Doug Haller of The Athletic.
Durant, in his 18th season, is cognizant of the criticism surrounding the NBA’s shift towards analytics-driven 3-point shooting, which some argue has contributed to declining viewership. Sports Media Watch reported a 19 percent drop in viewership from last season across major networks.
“I know how it changes lives and inspires lives and does a lot for people, so I take this serious,” Durant said, reflecting on his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the impact basketball can have. “I’m locked into as to why people don’t want to watch us play no more. Why they don’t like the 3-point line. Or what the real problem is.
“I’m trying to think about it and understand it because I love this game and I want to see it keep going.”
Under first-year Suns coach Mike Budenholzer, Phoenix has embraced this strategy.
“I love the pro game’s direction,” Budenholzer said in October, praising the athleticism and shooting range of today’s players. “To me, that’s the definition of entertainment — when a person is ‘kind of put into shock or awe by what people can do.’
“I respect those who disagree, but I consider this a beautiful time for basketball.”
Despite the Suns’ 11th ranking in 3-point attempts per game, their record stands at 15-14, largely due to injuries affecting key players like Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker, who missed his third game with a groin issue.
The atmosphere at Footprint Center was electric, with a sellout crowd of 17,071, despite the Suns’ recent loss to the Nuggets. The energy, however, wasn’t solely about the 3-pointers. A highlight was the hustle play involving Beal, Jones, Jusuf Nurkic, and rookie Ryan Dunn, which ignited the crowd.
“After getting routed Monday, we talked about max effort, and how we couldn’t survive without it,” Durant explained. “When key guys in your lineup are out, sometimes you got to change the identity of your team on the fly.”
Beal echoed this sentiment. “I can’t really share what Coach shared,” he said, “but we got the point. He challenged us all as individuals and as a team to be better.”
Durant also touched on the broader issue of NBA viewership, particularly on high-profile days like Christmas.
“It’s more than just one factor of why this league is great,” he said. “It’s not just the players why it’s great. And it’s not just the players why the viewership is not up, too. We all play a part in why the league is what it is.”
He expressed a hope for continued fan investment.
“Not just the playoffs or the Finals. Games in January,” he said. “I want to see the viewership get back up. League ain’t going nowhere, but we’re in a rough patch when it comes to that.”
- More NBA Rumors | All coverage from Hoops Wire
Looking for the latest NBA Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow Hoops Wire on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NBA News and Rumors for all 30 teams!
