Kevin Durant’s Honest Take on Luka Dončić During Lakers-Suns Matchup

The Los Angeles Lakers entered halftime with a commanding lead over the Phoenix Suns, holding a nearly 20-point advantage. Despite dropping their last four games, the Lakers are determined to turn things around, with star Luka Dončić stepping up in the absence of LeBron James, who is still recovering from a groin injury. At the half, Dončić had already racked up 17 points, six assists, and three rebounds, quickly proving to be a major challenge for the Suns.

The Slovenian guard, now wearing the Lakers’ colors instead of his familiar Dallas Mavericks jersey, hit a memorable step-back three over Suns’ star Kevin Durant early in the game. Throughout the first half, Dončić continued to make life difficult for the Suns, who are currently sitting 11th in the Western Conference and fighting for a play-in spot.

In the midst of the game, Durant, who was mic’d up for the broadcast, shared a candid message with his teammates about the difficulty of defending Dončić. “We’re not going to stop [Dončić] from scoring, bro,” Durant said on the bench. “We can’t come into a game and just stop their best players from scoring. We gotta just make it tough on him. We can’t give him 12 assists and 40 points though.”

Durant’s statement reflected the reality of facing a player of Dončić’s caliber. While it’s nearly impossible to completely shut him down, the goal is to limit his impact and make every shot a challenge. As the Suns struggle to contain Dončić, Durant’s words highlight the uphill battle they face against the young star’s all-around game.