AUSTIN - Future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant pointed to the Spurs' versatility and depth, and, of course, superstar Victor Wembanyama, when asked about the long-term matchup between the Houston Rockets and their Interstate 10 rivals.
"They're reigning Western Conference champions for a reason," Durant said before the teams squared off Friday night in the first of four meetings between the clubs this season.
"They're a deep team. They got one of the most unique players that ever touched the floor at the center position (in Wembanyama). And then they got plenty more guys on their team that can wreak havoc. They got a 6-foot-6 point guard, Dylan Harper, and (All-Star guard) De'Aaron Fox. They just got a line up of guys that can do pretty much a lot of things on the floor. And then they're playing fast-paced basketball shooting threes: The new modern era basketball mixed with a 7-5, 7-6 guy (Wembanyama) who (can shoot from distance).
"So it's going to be tough. We got our work cut out for us, but that's an amazing part about the NBA season. You get thrown into these tests early on and we're looking forward to it."
The Spurs, likewise, believe they will have their hands full defending Durant after watching him pump in 30 points in helping the Rockets coast to a 128-110 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.
"As he showed in game one, still flying high," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said of Durant. "He hasn't slowed down and it's a testament to the work he's put in and his preparation, all he's done in the offseason for a lot of years now. And it's a joy to watch."
The Spurs and the Rockets don't meet again until Jan. 26 when they square off at the Frost Bank Center in a game set for national television on NBC.
The final two meetings between the teams will be in Houston on March 5 and March 16.
Friday night's game marked the second time Durant has faced the Spurs in Austin, where he starred for Texas as a freshman in 2006-2007 before the Seattle SuperSonics made him the the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Durant scored 22 points with the Phoenix Suns in a 120-109 loss to the Spurs on Feb. 20, 2025 at the Moody Center.
"It was just a perfect partnership," Durant, 38, said of his time with the Longhorns. "Even though it was a short amount of time, I think the impact I had here in that one year was felt for a while. And then the impact that this community had on my life has been felt for the rest of my life. This is like my foundation. The day I graduated high school, the next day I came to Texas by myself. I was here for that whole year. No friends, no family. I had to meet everybody here.
"So I grew up, learned a lot about myself, learned some legendary coaching with coach (Rick) Barnes and his staff in a great city I had no clue about until I got here. So everything worked out perfect."
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There’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Rockets' Kevin Durant eyes challenging matchups with Spurs.