HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 28 points as the Houston Rockets beat the Phoenix Suns 117-98 on Friday night, becoming the eighth player in NBA history to score 31,000 career points.
It was Durant’s first against his former team since the blockbuster seven-team trade that sent Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to the Suns. Durant missed Houston’s 114-92 win over Phoenix on Nov. 24 due to personal reasons.
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Amen Thompson scored a season-high 31 points to help the Rockets win their fifth in six games.
Durant hit two free throws for his first points of the night and hit a jumper midway through the first quarter to allow the 15-time All-Star to reach the historic milestone. Durant, who did not play in the fourth quarter, has 31,024 career points.
The Rockets trailed by nine points initially, but with the help of Durant’s 17 points, they scored 44 points in the second quarter to take the lead.
The Rockets led by 11 points with about 7.5 minutes left in the third quarter, then went on a 16-2 run with about 2 minutes left in the quarter to bring the score to 92-67. Thompson scored six points in that stretch, and Durant and Reid Shepard both hit 3-pointers for the Rockets. Phoenix committed five turnovers during the drive.
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Brooks scored 23 points to lead the Suns, who lost for the third time in four games.
Houston played without Alperen Sengun, who missed the game due to illness. Steven Adams started off the bench and scored 4 points and 8 rebounds.
The Rockets played a video tribute to Brooks during pregame introductions and a video between the first and second quarters for Green, who was out with a hamstring injury. After the video ended, both contestants received warm applause from the audience.
Green spent his first four seasons in Houston after being selected with the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, while Brooks spent his first two seasons with the Rockets.
Next
Suns: Visit the Timberwolves on Monday night.
Rockets: Visit the Mavericks on Saturday night.
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