During Friday’s Phoenix Suns victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, Kevin Durant, the Suns’ 15-time NBA All-Star, found himself under scrutiny after a surprising moment of frustration.
Durant, who scored 17 points, six assists, three steals, and two rebounds in the 125-108 win, faced criticism after throwing a subtle punch at Pelicans rookie Karlo Matovic. The incident occurred late in the first quarter when Matovic set a screen on Durant just beyond the three-point arc. As Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III moved past Durant, Suns center Mason Plumlee lightly pushed Matovic into Durant’s path, prompting Durant to punch Matovic in the hip.
The sequence happened quickly, and the referees missed it, leading to no foul being called. However, Durant and Matovic exchanged words after the play.
Fans quickly took to social media, with many criticizing Durant for what they saw as uncharacteristic “tough-guy behavior.” A larger group of fans expressed their disapproval of Durant striking another player, even calling for the NBA to suspend him for the incident.
One fan tweeted, “@NBA he needs to be suspended.”
Another fan suggested, “Ban him a couple of games. Being a superstar doesn’t allow him to pull this BS against anonymous players.”
“He should be suspended for that,” said one more user.
A different fan jokingly predicted, “5 game suspension incoming.”
Another fan remarked, “I was told you get suspended for 1 game if you throw a punch.”
