Kevin Durant has been uncharacteristically loose-lipped with the Oklahoma City Thunder this season, and as a result he is tied for the league lead with technical fouls. During Monday night’s win over the Dallas Mavericks, Durant picked up his ninth technical of the season. With slightly less than half of the regular season remaining, he is on pace to hit the 16 technical foul-mark, which would result in a one game suspension.
After Monday’s game, Durant took responsibility for his actions.
“I just got to shut up,” he said according to The Oklahoman. “I’m racking ‘em up, man. Sometimes I get too excited and voice my opinion when I shouldn’t. I just got to shut up and play the game.”
Durant is now tied for the most technicals in the league with Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, DeMarcus Cousins, Blake Griffin and Matt Barnes. We’ve come to expect most of those names to be there, but the Thunder star usually has more self control. Now that he has been T’ed up nine times, Durant acknowledges that he is no longer receiving the benefit of the doubt.
“I shouldn’t have got a tech,” he explained. “I just went up and talked to (the official) and he got me one. But that goes back to the ones I’ve gotten before. I guess they watch and they’re looking for them now. I just got to shut up and play my game and just fight through it.”
Oklahoma City probably appreciates Durant’s passion and vocal leadership, but he has to be smart down the stretch — particularly in the postseason. KD earned the first ejection of his career earlier this year, and he later jokingly blamed Kendrick Perkins for being a poor influence on him. In the playoffs, seven technicals is a one-game suspension with an additional game being tacked on for every two after that. Durant needs to start taking his grandmother’s advice more seriously.
