Phoenix Suns and Team USA star Kevin Durant has paid tribute to emerging NBA prospect Matas Buzelis.

The Phoenix Suns snapped a four-game losing streak with a close 121-117 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Amid a need to win, the Phoenix Suns star players Kevin Durant and Devin Booker stepped up with 56 points combined.

It won’t be enough to stop the feeling of desperation around the team, who currently reside outside the playoff spots, but it stems the bleeding for now.

Kevin Durant praises Matas Buzelis

Speaking following the win, Kevin Durant paid tribute to Chicago Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis, the 11th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Buzelis, 20, has already played in 55 games this season and the Bulls have high hopes for the prospect.

He scored 15 points against the Suns, playing 24 minutes in the contest. He had one rebound and three assists. His top score this season is 24 points scored against the Miami Heat in early February.

Durant sees similarity with Buzelis’ build to his own, and says he is excited to see how he develops.

He explained, via NBA.com: “I like Matas. I liked him when he was in the G League. He’s long, athletic, can shoot it.

“Just give him some time to grow. I know it’s so exciting to have a young, athletic wing here. That’s a premium in the league when you want to get younger.

“These draft picks are a premium. It’s always going to take time for a player to find out who he truly is. People can’t rush that.

“When you’re 6-9 and you can do all the things on the floor like that, it’s going to take awhile for a coach or a team to kind of know exactly where they need to put you. It’s going to be a journey that everybody is tuned into and is excited about, including me.”

Kevin Durant warning for the Chicago Bulls

Kevin Durant continued with his positivity over Matas Buzelis, but warns he can only develop to his potential if he is surrounded by a high caliber of player.

He said: “I’m going to sit back and watch and see what happens from here. I’ve got high expectations just like you guys do. But you also know that you can’t bank you whole franchise on just one player.

“Everybody needs to come with their game and show that they can become a full team. But I think he’s a huge piece to that.”

The Chicago Bulls are a team that lacks direction at present. They still occupy the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference despite losing six games in a row.

That’s largely due to the ineptitude of the Philadelphia 76ers behind them, who have even been overtaken by the Brooklyn Nets.

The Bulls traded away Zach LaVine at the deadline and have not won since. At this point they would love to sink low enough in the standings to get more high draft picks to place alongside Buzelis, and build for the future.