Kevin Durant’s game-winning shot was truly satisfying! He fiercely criticized his former team, the Suns: being pushed out by them and then made the scapegoat.

On January 6th Beijing time, the Rockets won 100-97 over the Suns. Durant made 9 of 21 shots, including 2 of 12 from beyond the arc, finishing with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists. In the decisive moments, Durant hit a clutch near three-pointer to eliminate his former club. Postgame, Durant was questioned about this and unleashed criticism on the Suns.

A reporter asked, “KD, I know you still have feelings for your former team, but as a competitor, does hitting a game-winner against your old team carry a special meaning for you?”

Durant replied, “Absolutely. You know, Phoenix was a place I didn’t want to leave. It might sound exaggerated, but at the time, I really felt like I was kicked out. And last year when the team had issues, I ended up being the scapegoat. So beating my old team and hitting the game-winner feels amazing. But that’s all it is — just a moment in time. By tomorrow, I probably won’t even think about it anymore. This game was a lot of fun. Like I said, when you face the team that traded you, every player has that fire inside.”

As the interview was wrapping up, a reporter who had just arrived asked, “You played for the Suns for several years, then got traded to Houston, and a lot happened during that time. When you made that game-winning shot, did you have mixed emotions?”

Durant responded again, “Actually, before you came in, I already talked about it. Beating a team that pushed you out and made you the scapegoat feels really good. I gave my all for the Suns, for Phoenix, for Arizona — all my energy and passion. But this is business, this is the NBA survival rule. So when you face your old team, you definitely have that fire inside.”

“Of course, you can’t let that fire get out of control or it might hurt the team’s overall strategy and chemistry with teammates, but that feeling stays deep inside. I have no ill will toward the Suns players — actually, I respect them — but I want to beat them. I want them to know that even though I’m not young anymore, I still have fuel in the tank and can shine on the court.”

“I think every player feels this way facing their former team. It’s not about holding grudges, it’s just that as a competitor, you want to win. Especially winning with a game-winner against them — that feeling is incredible. But when I get home tonight, I probably won’t think about it anymore. Even if I do remember, I’ll try to forget it and focus on the next game.”