How to Find NBA Assist Highlights (Kevin Durant Example)

A few days ago, a tweet caught my attention. Kevin Durant had racked up 41 assists in his last 5 games. That is an unusual number for a player known primarily as a scorer. It showed a different side of his game.

I wanted to see those assists. Not just the stat line. The actual plays. So I went to NBAPlayDB and pulled up every assist from those 5 games.

Here is exactly how I did it, step by step.

From a Stat Line to the Actual Plays

The process was simple. I used NBAPlayDB's filters to surface every play where Kevin Durant was involved over his last 5 games. That returned every assist, every scoring play, and every other moment he was part of, ready to review one by one.

Let me walk you through how you can do the same thing for any player.

How to Find a Player's Assists on NBAPlayDB

Step 1: Open the Search Page

Go to the search page on NBAPlayDB. This is where all the filters live.

Step 2: Select the Player

Use the Involved Player filter to select your player. In this case, Kevin Durant.

Why Involved Player, Not Action Player?

This is the most important step. If you use the Action Player filter, you will only get plays where the player scored, blocked, or performed the main action. Assists will not show up. Use Involved Player to capture assists and all other plays where the player participated.

Step 3: Apply the Last N Games Filter

Set the Last N Games filter to 5. This tells NBAPlayDB to only show plays from the player's 5 most recent games.

The filter automatically finds the correct games based on the selected player. You do not need to look up dates or game codes manually.

The Last N Games filter works with values of 3, 5, 10, 15, or 20. It activates once you select a player in the Action Player or Involved Player filter.

Step 4: Review the Results

NBAPlayDB will show all plays involving Kevin Durant from his last 5 games. This includes his assists, scoring plays, and any other actions he was part of.

Browse through the results and open any play to see its full details — the players involved, the score state, the clock, and the game context. To narrow it down to assists only, jump to the next section.

Important Tip: How to Actually Find Assists

This is the most common point of confusion on NBAPlayDB. Many users search for a player's assists using the Action Player filter. They expect to see assists alongside scoring plays. But it does not work that way.

Here is why.

The Action Player is the player who performed the primary action. On a made basket, the action player is the scorer. The player who passed the ball for the assist is a secondary participant. That means the assister shows up under Involved Player, not Action Player.

If you want to find plays where a specific player gave the assist, you can also use the Assisted By filter. This is even more targeted. It shows only the baskets that player assisted, nothing else.

To summarize:

Action Player = the scorer, blocker, or primary actor. Does not include assists.
Involved Player = anyone involved in the play, including the assister. Captures assists along with other plays.
Assisted By = specifically the player who made the assist. Most direct filter for assists.

For a complete guide to all filters, see the filters guide.

Why This Method Works

This approach gives you a complete picture of a player's recent playmaking. Here is what makes it effective:

Covers assists, not just scoring. The Involved Player filter captures every play the player touched, including passes that led to baskets.
Works for any player. Replace Kevin Durant with any name. The same steps apply to LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Trae Young, or anyone else.
Focuses on recent form. The Last N Games filter lets you zoom in on a player's current stretch instead of searching an entire season.

Other Use Cases

The same technique works for more than just assist searches.

→Playmaking Breakdowns

Set Involved Player to your chosen playmaker
Set Is Assisted to "Yes" to focus on assisted baskets
Review every pass that led to a basket over the selected stretch

→Full Game Breakdown

Set Involved Player to the player you want to study
Set Last N Games to 1 for a single game
Review every play that player was involved in during that game

→Targeted Stat Searches

Use Assisted By to find a player's assists specifically
Combine with Action Type (e.g., "3PT") to find only assisted three-pointers
Zero in on a specific stat instead of scrolling a full game log

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find assists on NBAPlayDB?

Use the Involved Player filter to find all plays where a player participated, including assists. For a more targeted search, use the Assisted By filter to see only the baskets a specific player assisted.

Why don't assists show under the Action Player filter?

The Action Player is the player who performed the main action on a play. On a made basket, that is the scorer. The assisting player is a secondary participant, so they appear under Involved Player or Assisted By instead.

Can I combine assists with other filters?

Yes. The filters stack, so you can pair Assisted By with Action Type, Last N Games, team, or game-state filters to narrow the results to exactly the plays you are looking for.

Can I filter by the last N games?

Yes. The Last N Games filter lets you choose from 3, 5, 10, 15, or 20 recent games. It requires a player to be selected in the Action Player or Involved Player filter first.

Can I use this for any player?

Yes. The steps in this guide work for any NBA player. Just change the name in the Involved Player or Assisted By filter.

Start Searching

Kevin Durant's 41 assists in 5 games were easy to find once the filters were set right. The same method works for any player and any stat. Pick a player, set your filters, and pull up exactly the plays you want.

Go to the search page and try it yourself.