It has been a roller-coaster season for the Phoenix Suns this year. But this time, the drama wasn’t just on the scoreboard. While the Suns took a heavy 107-96 blow from the Lakers on March 16, Kevin Durant and head coach Mike Budenholzer were caught in a heated exchange.
The Suns were trailing and Durant was visibly frustrated, throwing a fit and waving his hands while letting his coach hear it. The video went viral, and as always, social media exploded with reactions.
Suns’ Sideline Tension Goes Viral as Kevin Durant Loses It
The Suns are in a slump this season, posting a record of 31-37 with an uphill battle to make the playoffs in the backstretch. But when a superstar clashes with his head coach, that takes it to the next level.
Late in the first quarter — the Suns down double-digits — Durant got up from the bench and let Budenholzer have it. The moment was caught on camera and instantly garnered attention.
Kevin Durant and Mike Budenholzer exchange words during the timeout.
(via @TSN_Sports)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 16, 2025
Fans pounced on this opportunity to voice their opinions, with the best one being, “Luka [Dončić] breaking teams 😂😂😂.”
Luka breaking teams 😂😂😂
— ²³𝙻𝚎𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜🏀☄️🌎💞 (@BronGotGame) March 16, 2025
While another added, “He HATES THIS TEAM LMAO. This team is done, time to rebuild.”
Others, however, downplayed the situation, with one user writing, “Don’t make this a big deal, man. They both just want to win.”
Dont make this a big deal man. They both just want to win
— Nando 🍀 (@nando17celtics) March 16, 2025
This wasn’t the first time Durant and Budenholzer clashed on the sidelines. Earlier this month, during a narrow 119-117 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, the two had another animated discussion. Both brushed off speculation about any rift, but with the Suns continuing to slide, these incidents are becoming harder to ignore.
Budenholzer Wants Suns To Be ‘Better’ After the Collapse
After Sunday’s loss, Budenholzer addressed the situation, insisting Durant was simply pushing the team to be better.
“He’s always pushing us to win. He’s pushing us to be better,” the coach said. “Trying to figure out the spacing. Sometimes figure out the defensive … are we putting two on the ball? And how we’re rotating. … We have to figure it out, we have to be better.”
While the Suns’ sideline fireworks stole the headlines, the actual game wasn’t much prettier. Durant did his best to carry the team, finishing with 21 points and nine rebounds while Devin Booker added 19 points and 11 assists. However, it wasn’t enough for them to keep up with the Lakers.
Dončić led the charge for L.A., dropping a dominant 33 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. The Lakers snapped their four-game losing streak in style, while the Suns’ free fall continued.
At 31-37, Phoenix is still outside the playoff picture, sitting as the 11th seed in the Western Conference. Whether Durant and Budenholzer can get on the same page — or if this was just another sign of deeper problems — remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: NBA fans will be watching.