PHILADELPHIA — As the Philadelphia 76ers prepare to take on the Houston Rockets on Thursday night, the focus will be on slowing down Rockets superstar Kevin Durant.

While the Rockets have a slew of wings who will give the Sixers some trouble on the night, Durant is the head of the snake. The 18-year veteran is still one of the more lethal scorers in the game as he’s averaging 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists while shooting 51.1% from the floor and 39.5% from deep.

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The Sixers will throw a number of players at Durant, and whether it’s Kelly Oubre Jr., Dominick Barlow, or Jabari Walker, they better be ready for a tough battle.

“I think staying solid,” Walker said of defending Durant. “Being aggressive defensively. Not just letting him be comfortable. You gotta try a lot of different tactics for guys who are big. I think we have the tools defensively. We just gotta apply different things.”

Nobody really slows down a guy like Durant. It’s all about making life tough on him and hoping he misses. Even in year 18, but Walker is a smart player who plays with the heart of a lion. One has to believe he will be prepared for a contest such as this one.

“You kinda pay attention more to a guy specifically like him,” Walker explained. “How his game’s going. Is he hot when you check in? Because if he’s hot, you know he’s definitely shooting something a little bit crazy so you gotta be aware of that. If the game’s just started and it’s like OK, maybe he’s gonna ease his way in, so you kinda gotta know where he is in the game, what time it is, and you gotta know some of his tendencies.”

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NBA players love to challenge themselves. They want to know how their game matches up against the best of the best, and Durant is certainly a challenge for anybody. Walker views it as a test for his own sake when he takes on the Rockets.

“I think it’s a cool test guarding guys like that to see exactly where you are,” Walker smiled. “Especially, me looking up to a guy like Kevin Durant. I’ve had many conversations with him. I’ve picked his brain a lot. He’s someone who, if you play good defense, he’ll compliment you. That’s a rare thing so it makes you wanna play harder to get that compliment.”

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers explain keys to slowing down Rockets superstar Kevin Durant