Kevin Durant established his reputation as one of the best scorers of his age by becoming only the 10th player in NBA history to achieve 28,000 career points.
The two-time NBA champion surpassed the milestone as the Phoenix Suns suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Orlando Magic. Meanwhile, Saddiq Bey came through for the Atlanta Hawks with a game-winning last-second dunk.
Kevin Durant became only the 10th player in NBA history to reach 28,000 career points, cementing his place among the game’s all-time greats.
On Sunday night, the Phoenix Suns lost 113-98 to the Orlando Magic, marking the milestone for the two-time NBA champion.
Durant also surpassed JJ Redick to become the 19th most prolific three-point shooter in NBA history.
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Despite surpassing those milestones and Devin Booker’s 41 points on the night, the Suns were unable to beat the Magic.
“I wasn’t very smart with the ball,” Durant admitted following the game. “I set a bad example for the team, and it affected the entire game.” That was the real reason we lost the game.”
Congrats to @KDTrey5 of the @Suns for becoming the 10th player in NBA history to score 28,000 career points! pic.twitter.com/NXXy29SF06
— NBA (@NBA) January 29, 2024
Durant will play the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday for the first time since requesting a trade with the team to join the Suns last season.
The 35-year-old spent three seasons in Brooklyn, averaging 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in 129 games, but failed to win an NBA championship.
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However, it was a difficult period in which the Nets failed to live up to expectations with Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden all on the roster at the same time.
There has been speculation about whether Durant will receive a tribute film, and he voiced his view on social media, writing, “Please don’t. “The night will be better without it.”
Saddiq Bey delivered a clutch performance as the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Toronto Raptors 126-125.
Bey was the quickest to respond to Trae Young’s missed shot, dunking home to give the hosts the lead with 1.1 seconds left.
Bey timed this perfectly for the game-winner 🔥🔥 https://t.co/RjAuDGPnWa pic.twitter.com/gp1OZXMstA
— NBA (@NBA) January 29, 2024
The 24-year-old scored a season-high 26 points and pulled down 13 rebounds, while Young finished with 30 points and 12 assists.
“We talked about it in the huddle,” Young stated following the match. “Just try to create and go downward, but we had to crash because they were going to challenge my shot. We were going to get a chance to comeback, and it worked out nicely for us.”
The win ended Atlanta’s four-game losing streak, while the Raptors suffered their fifth consecutive defeat.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder said, “I think we were connected tonight. While it may not happen every night, we may still strive for it for 48 minutes.That is our goal, to maintain that level of dedication and perseverance when things do not go our way.”
The Detroit Pistons won only their sixth game of the season, 120-104, over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Indiana Pacers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 116-110, and DeMar DeRozan led the Chicago Bulls to a 104-96 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
