‣ Kevin Durant surpassed Carmelo Anthony to secure the ninth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, now trailing Shaquille O’Neal and Wilt Chamberlain for the eighth and seventh positions, respectively.
‣ Despite the Phoenix Suns‘ loss to the Houston Rockets, Durant’s performance was notable with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, highlighting his significant contribution to the game and his respect for Carmelo Anthony’s influence on his career.
‣ Bol Bol showcased an impressive performance in the same game, achieving season highs and nearly matching his career bests, while the Suns faced challenges with key players missing due to injuries.
Kevin Durant has passed Carmelo Anthony for 9th on the NBA all-time scoring list.
Durant has played in 224 fewer games than Melo.
— Booker Muse (@DevinBookerMuse)
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Kevin Durant, the Phoenix Suns star, made headlines again. This time, it was during a nail-biting game on Friday night. Despite the Suns’ 114-110 loss to the Houston Rockets, Durant had a personal victory. He soared past Carmelo Anthony, landing in ninth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Now, that’s something, isn’t it?
Durant’s new tally? A whopping 28,296 points. Just to put that into perspective, he’s just a breath away from Shaquille O’Neal’s 28,596. And let’s not even start on Wilt Chamberlain’s monumental 31,419. Oh, and at the top? LeBron James, with an eye-watering 39,898 points.
Now, here’s a fun fact from the Twitterverse: Durant achieved this feat in 224 fewer games than Melo. Impressive, right?
In that particular game against Houston, Durant was on fire. He racked up 28 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out eight assists. Not to mention, he also had a steal and two blocks, all in 38 minutes. His shooting? 10-of-22 from the floor. Though, he could’ve done better than 1-of-7 from beyond the arc, but let’s not nitpick.
Durant himself was a bit somber post-game, though. “It’s hard to think about right now. We lost two games in a row. That sucks,” he admitted. But he quickly added, “I don’t want to disrespect what that means to the game.” He’s always looked up to Anthony, after all.
Oh, and for those keeping count, Durant has played in 1,036 career NBA games. That’s 224 fewer than Melo’s 1,260.
Suns coach Frank Vogel couldn’t hide his admiration. “He’s one of the best to ever do it,” Vogel said, praising Durant’s milestone.
But wait, there’s more. Durant matched his career high in assists at Houston. And he scored a season-high 43 points against the Bulls. Talk about being on a roll.
In the same game, Devin Booker and Bol Bol were no slouches either. Booker added 25 points, while Bol had a night to remember with 25 points and 14 rebounds.
However, the Suns were missing some key players. Bradley Beal sat out his third straight game. And Jusuf Nurkic was out with a sprained ankle. Despite trailing by 13 points at the start of the fourth, the Suns nearly pulled off a comeback. Thanks in part to Bol’s unexpected three-pointers.
Bol was just shy of matching his career bests in points and rebounds.
Durant, reflecting on his achievement, remained humble. “It’s hard to think about right now,” he reiterated, focusing on the team’s loss. But he acknowledged the significance of surpassing Anthony in scoring.
Vogel had nothing but praise for Bol’s performance. “He was great,” Vogel said, emphasizing Bol’s impact on the game.
As for Durant’s season stats? They’re nothing short of stellar. Averaging 28.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. And let’s not forget his shooting percentages: 53.3% from the field, 42.9% from three-point range, and 86.1% at the line.
Durant’s career continues to be one for the history books. Matching his career high in assists and scoring a season-high against the Bulls? Just another day in the life of Kevin Durant.
