Kevin Durant vs Karl-Anthony Towns NBA playoffs stats, records and more explored

Kevin Durant and Karl-Anthony Towns will face off in a Western Conference first-round series between the Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves. The two teams, in fact, faced each other in their final game of the regular season on Sunday. Phoenix got a blowout 125-106 win to secure the sixth seed, setting up a playoff meeting with Minnesota.

The series begins Saturday at the Target Center because of the Timberwolves’ superior No. 3 seeding. After the first two games, the series will move to Phoenix. The Suns swept Minnesota 3-0 in the season series, thus, it's important for the T'Wolves to take advantage of home court.

Taking a closer look at Kevin Durant and Karl-Anthony Towns’ playoff numbers

Kevin Durant is one of the best scorers the league has ever seen, and his playoff numbers reflect that. While Durant has accomplished everything there's to in the NBA playoffs, including two Finals MVPs and two titles, critics often discount those championships.

Durant won the titles alongside Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green for the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. They probably would have won three if not for Durant’s Achilles injury and Thompson’s ACL tear in 2019. Golden State won another title in 2022, but Durant has not been to the finals since leaving the Warriors.

Here’s a look at Durant’s playoff stats:

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG%	3-PT FG%	FT%	MPG	Playoff record
Kevin Durant	29.4	7.8	4.2	1.0	1.2	47.6	35.5	86.9	40.5	101-65

Durant has been to four NBA Finals, once with the OKC Thunder and thrice with the Warriors.

Karl-Anthony Towns is nowhere close to Durant in terms of his playoff resume. He has been to just three first-round series but lost all of them. If there was ever a time to change the narrative, it's now, as he has the perfect teammates to foil Kevin Durant and the Suns’ dreams of having a long postseason run.

Here’s a look at Towns’ playoff stats:

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG%	3-PT FG%	FT%	MPG	Playoff record
Karl-Anthony Towns	18.6	11.4	2.1	0.6	1.3	47.1	33.3	80.2	35.8	4-12

Has Kevin Durant and Karl-Anthony Towns faced each other in the NBA playoffs?

Durant and Towns have never played against each other in the playoffs. They have, however, faced each other 15 times in the regular season. KAT has played all 15 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves, while KD represented the OKC Thunder, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns in those matchups.

Kevin Durant has dominated those games with a 13-2 record, something Towns will be mindful of heading into the series.

Here's a complete breakdown of Durant's regular-season stats vs Towns:

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG%	3-PT FG%	FT%	MPG	Record
Kevin Durant	25.3	7.9	4.9	0.66	1.26	46.1	43.7	94.1	36.1	13-2

Here's a look at Towns' regular-season numbers against Durant:

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG%	3-PT FG%	FT%	MPG	Record
Karl-Anthony Towns	20.6	11.9	2.7 assists	0.46	0.66	50.0	27.6	74.2	33.8	2-13

Phoenix needs its Big Three to fire to have a deep playoff run

The Suns rely on their Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal to carry them to wins. The cost of having three stars in the roster come with a heavy price as well: a weak supporting cast. Phoenix needs its trio to stay healthy and in form to win its first NBA title.