SAN ANTONIO -- All-Star forward Kevin Durant has caught flack ever since he said, "If you don't like it, don't watch it," during a postgame interview session after Game 3 of the Western Conference finals pertaining to the plethora of blowouts this postseason.
Although competitive games have been rare during this year's playoffs -- especially games involving the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers -- some critics thought it was still out of line for a superstar player to suggest fans should consider switching the dial if they haven't been entertained.
In an interview with ESPN on Monday, Durant apologized for his remarks, though he remained true to his words.
"I mean, life can be simple, man, Durant told ESPN. "If you don't like the way the game is going, just turn it off. If you're enjoying it, just keep it on. Life is simple. I didn't mean it to disrespect anybody, but if you felt disrespected, I'm sorry. But if you don't enjoy the game, turn it off [and] turn something else on. If you do, enjoy the rest of it, man."
The Warriors, who hold a 3-0 series lead over the Spurs, can advance to the NBA Finals with a victory Monday night at AT&T Center.
San Antonio has faced an uphill battle with All-Star Kawhi Leonard out of the lineup with a sprained left ankle. The Warriors have defeated the Spurs by an average of 24 points over the past two games.
The Boston Celtics, however, have shown that all it takes is one win to conquer some much-needed momentum. Durant said he doesn't think Boston upsetting Cleveland will give San Antonio any extra motivation, though.
"I think [the Spurs are] always motivated," Durant said. "I think they always feel like they can win every game every time they step on the floor. Obviously, [Sunday] night's game was a fun game to watch. Boston played well, but I think the Spurs always have that mentality that they can win any game. So, we know they're not going to give up at all. We know it's going to be a fight to close this thing out, just like any other closeout game, and we're looking forward to it."
And this time, Durant has a different message.
"Hopefully a lot of people watch tonight," he said. "It'll be a fun one."