In one of the final two games of today’s nine-game NBA slate, the Phoenix Suns will face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kevin Durant and company have hit a desperate stage of the season and must capitalize on every winnable matchup moving forward.
Phoenix has dropped to 11th place in the Western Conference with a 28-32 record on the season. It has lost 10 of its past 13 games with the future continuing to look more and more bleak. Regardless, the home stretch of the season is here, so look for this team to do everything possible to sneak into the play-in tournament.
Minnesota also has had its growing pains this season following its significant offseason shakeup that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks. It holds a record of 32-29 on the season, which puts it in ninth place in the Western Conference. Minnesota received some positive injury news as Julius Randle is set to make his return to the floor after missing the past 13 games. However, keep an eye on Anthony Edwards’ status as he is questionable with a calf issue.
The Suns enter this matchup as one-point favorites and -122 on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Timberwolves hold +102 odds on the Moneyline with the game total set at 232.5.
With the stage set, here are my favorite Kevin Durant prop bets ahead of the Sunday night matchup.
Best Kevin Durant Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Kevin Durant’s props are listed at over/under 25.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.5 made three-pointers and 38.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
Kevin Durant Over 5.5 Rebounds (-110)
So far this season, Kevin Durant is averaging 5.9 rebounds per game and has recorded over 5.5 rebounds in 25 of the 47 games he has played. The 15-time All-Star was held to just two rebounds in the first matchup with the Timberwolves, but expect a different outlook with Rudy Gobert remaining out tonight. Gobert leads the Timberwolves with 10.4 rebounds per game.
The Timberwolves rank 13th in opponent rebounds allowed and 15th in total team rebounds this season. Phoenix has not been strong on the boards either, leading to a larger need for Durant to assert his 6-foot-11 frame in this area. He has averaged as many as 8.0 rebounds per game over a season in his career and averaged 6.6 rebounds per game just last season with the Suns.
As the home stretch of the season is fully upon us, expect Durant’s rebounding numbers to continue to grow. Nick Richards has not been the answer at the big man position as was hoped and the team has recently experimented with giving Bol Bol an expanded role. Look for Durant to take advantage of Gobert’s absence and play a key role in collecting rebounds tonight. Count on him to record over 5.5 rebounds as he has done in 25 games already this season.
Kevin Durant Over 4.5 Assists (+114)
At his core, there is no doubt that Kevin Durant is at his best as a scorer. But the lack of playmaking in the Suns’ offense has been obvious and Durant has begun to take this responsibility on at a more regular rate.
The four-time scoring champion is averaging 4.3 assists per game this season. Durant has recorded over 4.5 assists in 22 of the 47 games he has played, including four of the past seven games. He tallied seven assists in the previous matchup with the Timberwolves and also had six assists in his most recent game against the Pelicans.
Minnesota ranks sixth in the NBA in opponent points allowed and fifth in assists conceded. It has held opponents to the seventh-worst field-goal percentage on the season and seventh-worst three-point percentage. There are still plenty of impressive defenders on the Timberwolves roster, but expect these metrics to take a hit without Rudy Gobert on the floor. Look for Phoenix to have more success attacking the basket with Julius Randle as the primary rim protector available.
While there will be larger discussions about his future this summer, for now, it is primarily Durant’s responsibility to get the Suns as close to back on track as possible. Expect his hunger to win and desire to give this team a chance in the playoffs to be evident in the coming weeks. Look for Durant to take more of a backseat as a scorer and to do the little things needed to win for this Phoenix team. Expect his playmaking to be a huge part of this and for Durant to control the level of play by recording over 4.5 assists tonight.
