TITLE: Durant’s late 3-pointer pushes Rockets past Suns, 100-97
SLUG: durants-late-3-pointer-pushes-rockets-past-suns
CONTENT:
HOUSTON — Kevin Durant buried a 27-foot 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left on Monday night, giving the Houston Rockets a 100-97 win over the Phoenix Suns and extra satisfaction for the forward who said he was “kicked out” of his former club.
The 37-year-old scored a team-high 26 points in his first meeting with Phoenix since the offseason trade that sent him to Houston and moved Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green to the Suns. The game was tied when Durant launched the deciding shot from the right wing.
“Most definitely,” Durant said when asked if the moment carried added weight. “A place that I didn’t want to leave … to be kicked out of a place.” He added that the victory felt good against a team that “scapegoated” him for its struggles.
Durant spent 2½ seasons in Phoenix after arriving from the Brooklyn Nets in February 2023. He made the All-Star team in both full campaigns, but the Suns were eliminated in the first round of the 2023-24 playoffs and missed the postseason entirely last year.
“It’s nothing but love for the players, but I want to beat that team,” he said. “Even though I’m old, I still can play.”
Durant noted the competitive edge would fade quickly. “By the time I get home tonight, I’ll try my best to forget about it and move on to the next one.”
Source: ESPN
