Kevin Durant didn’t wait long to make his mark in his long-anticipated showdown against his former team, the Phoenix Suns.
In his first game of the season against the Suns on Friday after missing the initial Nov. 24 meeting between the teams, the Houston Rockets superstar delivered a vintage moment that instantly turned into NBA history.
And the league wasted no time celebrating it.
Durant Joins the 31,000-Point Club With Vintage Fadeaway
On Friday, Dec. 5, the Rockets hosted the Suns at Toyota Center in a high-stakes Western Conference clash.
The Rockets entered the night 14-5 and sitting third in the West, while the Suns, at 13-9, held seventh seed. It was Durant’s long-awaited on-court reunion with the Suns after their June 2025 breakup.
Early in the first quarter, with the score tied 10-10, Durant caught a pass, rose into a silky mid-range fadeaway and buried it — a shot he has made look effortless for over a decade. But this one meant more.
With that bucket, Durant became the eighth player in NBA history to reach 31,000 career points.
The NBA’s official X account marked the moment in real time:
“KD reaching 31,000 career points in classic KD fashion… with the textbook mid-range fade.”
Another post from NBA handle honored the milestone:
“Congrats to Kevin Durant of the @HoustonRockets for becoming the 8th player in NBA history to reach 31,000 career PTS!”
KD reaching 31,000 career points in classic KD fashion…
With the textbook mid-range fade 😮💨 https://t.co/1TR49b0NHw pic.twitter.com/BdZpUSPfJH
— NBA (@NBA) December 6, 2025
Durant now joins an exclusive list that features LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dirk Nowitzki and other all-time greats. James currently leads the scoring mountain with 42,268 points, followed by Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387.
The timing of the milestone made the moment even sweeter, coming against the team he parted ways with just months earlier.
Complicated Suns Chapter Ends, But Durant Still Delivers
Durant’s departure from Phoenix last June ended an era that never lived up to expectations. Despite forming a star trio with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, the Suns failed to win a championship in his three-season stint.
They made two playoff runs but bottomed out with a 36–46 record in 2024–25, leading to a major offseason shakeup and Durant heading to Houston in a blockbuster trade finalized in late June.
He was originally scheduled to face the Suns on Nov. 24, but he missed that game due to personal reasons, giving this matchup added anticipation.
Durant has gotten his initial Rockets campaign off to a strong start, averaging 25.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 49.3% shooting entering Friday’s contest. And he wasted no time reminding his old team of what they once had, dropping 21 points on 8-for-13 shooting by halftime.
The Rockets themselves have surged into contention, winning four of their last five and looking like one of the most balanced teams in the conference. The Suns, meanwhile, continue searching for consistency in the crowded West.
