Kevin Durant scores team-high 21 points vs. MIN

Remember the concerns about Durant’s lack of shot attempts after Houston’s November 2 win over the Celtics? He’s attempted at least 14 shots in each of the Rockets’ last three games, scoring at least 21 points in each appearance. Durant’s field goal percentage against the Nuggets wasn’t the best, but he finished two assists shy of a triple-double in what was a productive night overall.

Durant had only one official field-goal attempt in the first half, scoring six points thanks to his going 4-of-5 from the foul line. He took 13 shots in the second half and made four, which hurt KD’s shooting efficiency. He did grab 10 rebounds, finishing with his first double-double of the season. The Rockets play four games next week, starting with the Nuggets on Monday.

Durant has seemingly taken a step back offensively, allowing for a more even distribution of the Rockets’ shot attempts. The approach has worked, with Houston now 7-1, but fantasy managers who drafted KD may not be thrilled. He attempted a season-low six shots against the Celtics, making five, but managers will want more from a player with an ADP as high as Durant’s (16).

Durant took a bit of a backseat in this one as the Rockets mostly played through Alperen Sengun, who took twice as many shots as Durant and had 29 points. The recipe worked for Houston as they were able to speak out a close 114-110 victory over the Spurs. The good news for fantasy managers is Durant played 37 minutes again and doesn’t appear to be slowing down at age-38.

Durant started his 19th season in the NBA off with an excellent performance. The 38-year-old forward dropped 30 points on 16 attempts as the Rockets won going away over the Mavericks. Durant played 37 minutes after averaging 36.3 minutes last season. While the Rockets’ top brass has talked about managing his minutes, Durant wasn’t held back at all in the season opener.

Durant is 38 and entering his 19th season in the NBA, but he showed few signs of slowing down last season as he was named to the league’s All-NBA second-team. He’ll start alongside VanVleet, Thompson, Smith and Sengun against the Mavericks on Wednesday.

During his press conference, Durant was asked about GM Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka wanting to manage his minutes. KD acknowledged the logic behind it, but said he’s ready to play as much as he needs to to help the Rockets win. He played 36.3 minutes per game last season, and he hasn’t played fewer than 35 minutes per game in a season since his first with the Nets, which was right after he missed a full season with a torn Achilles. Since an injury-plagued stint in Brooklyn, Durant has been mostly healthy over the last three seasons and still plays a significant workload. It doesn’t seem like that will change this season.

Coming off of what he described as the best season of his NBA career, Brown just missed out on first-team All-NBA honors. The Celtics’ star wing was a first-team selection on 44 of 100 ballots, with Detroit’s Cade Cunningham appearing on 60 and finishing with 414 total points to Brown’s 384. Leonard, Mitchell, Durant and Brunson round out the All-NBA second team.

Having suffered a tendon bruise in his knee before the series, Durant has been out since Game 2 due to a bone bruise in his left ankle. His continued absence means another start for Reed Sheppard, while the Rockets will also require more production from Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson. Sheppard played 35 minutes in Wednesday’s Game 5 victory, finishing with 12 points, six assists, three steals and two three-pointers.

Despite it being another elimination game for the Rockets, Durant still won’t be available to suit up. Reed Sheppard should continue to start after scoring 17 points in Houston’s Game 4 victory. If they’re able to extend the series, there is a chance Durant is able to make a return to the court, which would help the Rockets’ chances of making history by coming back from down 0-3.