The Phoenix Suns won 128-115 at home against the shorthanded Atlanta Hawks despite Kevin Durant producing another below-par performance. Durant finished with 19 points and five turnovers, shooting 5-of-15, including 2-of-8 from 3-point range.
It was the fourth time in five games that he shot below 50.0% and the third time he scored under 20 points. His turnover rate has also increased. He had four in Wednesday's 115-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Durant hasn't looked like himself these past few games, which is an anomaly for a player of his caliber.
He has had a rare off night or two, but five consecutive games where he's struggled is potentially the worst stretch of his illustrious career. Durant's inconsistency has left NBA Twitter questioning whether the 35-year-old is gradually regressing with age after playing 63 of 70 games this year.

After Thursday's listless performance, NBA Twitter dissed the former MVP with the following reactions:
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Fatigue might be kicking in for Kevin Durant after playing 35 consecutive games. He's missed only seven outings all year, which has been rare over the past few seasons. Durant has played 63 games, the most since the 2018-19 season when he was with the Golden State Warriors before his Achilles injury.
Should the Suns be concerned about Kevin Durant's form and health?
Kevin Durant is integral to the Suns' chances of winning a championship. There's no debate that it is Devin Booker's team and he's their leader on offense. But Durant's championship pedigree and experience will be the decisive factor come playoff time.
However, age isn't on Durant's side. At 35, especially after the injury-riddled seasons since 2019, "KD" needs some rest before the postseason begins. But the Suns cannot afford that with their big three not having played much and still struggling to dominate teams as expected before the season.
The Suns couldn't steamroll past the crippled Atlanta Hawks, who were without their best player, Trae Young and starting forwards Jalen Johnson and Saddiq Bey. It was a neck-and-neck game until the third quarter before the Suns' picked up steam in the fourth.
It's been a trend for Phoenix against all opponents. That's resulted in the Suns' being questionable to finish in the top six in Western Conference standings. They are seventh now, with a 41-29 record, three games ahead of the ninth and 10th-placed LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors.
With their struggles continuing against underdogs, Kevin Durant is unlikely to receive much rest ahead of the postseason. This is a cause for concern for the Suns as fatigue might hold the two-time champ from playing to his potential.
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