The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Three former Longhorns set for 2021 NBA Playoffs
05.21.2021 | Men's Basketball
Durant, Thompson and Tucker on playoff rosters.
AUSTIN, Texas — A total of three former University of Texas men's basketball players will be involved in the upcoming 2021 NBA Playoffs. Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets), Tristan Thompson (Boston Celtics) and P.J. Tucker (Milwaukee Bucks) are all on their team's active postseason rosters.
An 11-time NBA All-Star, nine-time All-NBA selection and four-time NBA scoring champion, Durant is in his second season with the Brooklyn Nets and 14th year overall in the NBA. In 35 games played during the regular season, he averaged 26.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 33.1 minutes per contest while hitting 53.7-percent from the floor, including a 45.0-percent mark from three-point range, and 88.2-percent from the free throw line. Durant led the Golden State Warriors to back-to-back NBA titles in 2017 and 2018 and also was honored as the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in both years. Brooklyn claimed the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and opens its First Round series against No. 7 seed Boston on Saturday, May 22 (7 p.m. Central, ABC).
Thompson is in his first season with the Boston Celtics and 10th year overall in the NBA. In 54 games played during the regular season, he averaged 7.6 points and a team-best 8.1 rebounds in 23.8 minutes per contest while converting 51.8-percent from the floor. Thompson posted a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds in 30 minutes during Boston's 118-100 win over Washington in a NBA Play-In game on Tuesday night. He averaged a double-double in The Finals while helping the Cleveland Cavaliers win the 2016 NBA Championship. Boston earned the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference and opens its First Round series against No. 2 seed Brooklyn on Saturday, May 22 (7 p.m. Central, ABC).
Tucker is his 10th year overall in the NBA and his first season with the Milwaukee Bucks. In his 20 games played with the Bucks after a mid-season trade from the Houston Rockets, he averaged 2.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per contest while converting 39.4-percent from three-point range. Milwaukee claimed the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and opens its First Round series against No. 6 seed Miami on Saturday, May 22 (1 p.m. Central, ESPN).
In addition to the three former Longhorns on NBA playoff rosters, a pair of former players are assistant coaches for NBA playoff teams. Matt Hill is an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks (No. 5 seed, Eastern Conference), while Royal Ivey is an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets (No. 2 seed, Eastern Conference).