Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets have been on a roll. The team just thrillingly beat the Phoenix Suns, with Durant hitting a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds to go to seal a 100-97 win. The crowd was hyped, Durant was celebrating, and after the game, he admitted what many around the league already suspected.

“To be kicked out of a place, and it felt like I’ve been scapegoated for the issues we had as a team last year,” he told the media in the post-game conference. “You play with a little chip on your shoulder against your former team, especially when they trade you.”

It’s clear that Durant believes it wasn’t enough for Phoenix to move on, but rather to find a target to blame for their collapse last season. The Suns’ big three of him, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal failed spectacularly, with the team failing to make the playoffs despite having three of the best scorers in the league. Chemistry issues only made things worse.

Many voices around the league, including former teammates, have come together to call out the Suns’ treatment of the star. DeMarcus Cousins called out Phoenix’s management, saying that he didn’t “think Phoenix had a plan” because “it never made sense in the first place.”

However, it seems the 37-year-old likes where he’s at now, given his reaction after the game.

“It feels good to come out here and get some love,” Kevin Durant said of playing in Toyota Center, where he has been booed countless times in the past. “I love Houston. I love Texas. I’m just grateful I’m representing the Rockets.”

Durant also insisted that the chip on his shoulder from the Suns trade won’t linger, and it’s not something that he’s planning on thinking about tomorrow, but chips don’t just disappear. Once those old jerseys show up on the other side, his play just gets sharper.

Social media was behind Kevin Durant for his ‘scapegoated’ claim

Social media didn’t need long to react after Kevin Durant’s emotions about his exit from Phoenix surfaced after the Rockets took the win tonight. The ‘scapegoat’ accusation landed heavy, and many saw it as overdue honesty. Many Durant and Rockets fans were happy to see their star succeed, with one fan commenting:

“Suns in shambles 😭😭”

For many fans, Durant’s comments felt like validation, because Phoenix’s season had been doomed from the beginning.

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“hes right. the suns had no depth and had to retool the whole roster,” one post read.

The roster construction was a clear weakness for the Suns, slanting heavily on offense, featuring no real playmakers, and limited three-point shooting. Now, with a better fit around one star, the team is performing much better.

Not everyone bought what Durant was selling, though. One corner of the NBA X pushed back, arguing that he wasn’t ever the ‘true’ scapegoat.

“Didn’t really think he was scapegoated tho, most people were talking s— about Beal, collecting money, and always injured and blocking the Butler trade! 🤷🏾‍♂️”

Much of the frustration was aimed at former teammate Bradley Beal, who had a massive contract but spent just 53 games on the floor, and used his no-trade clause to block a potential Jimmy Butler trade midseason.

Many fans also pointed at Durant, who personally asked for a trade at the end of the season. However, others pointed to a key piece of information that caused the rift.

“They tried to trade him at the deadline behind his back. F— you mean he wanted to get traded”

Reports from the time claimed that the Suns shopped Durant around the trade deadline for potential suitors, and the forward apparently declined a trade back to the Golden State Warriors. This was a major reason for the decline of the relationship between the two sides.

Still, winning has a way of delivering closure, and with MVP chants surrounding him tonight, Durant owned the moment, and viewers recognized that.

“When you hit the game winner….you can talk as much s— as you like until the next game,” wrote one fan.

It was a superstar protecting his legacy, and only time will tell if Durant can close that chapter by achieving postseason success in Houston.