Kevin Durant made history on Tuesday night, becoming the eighth player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points. However, his milestone was overshadowed by the Phoenix Suns' 119-112 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies at Footprint Center.
Durant led all scorers with 34 points on 12-of-18 shooting while adding five blocks. His historic moment came late in the third quarter when he reached the milestone on a free throw.
The 36-year-old became the third-fastest player to reach 30,000 points, behind only Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan.
The Suns, now 26-27, have lost five of their last six games and currently sit 11th in the Western Conference. They played without Bradley Beal (left great toe sprain) for the third consecutive game.
New trade additions Cody Martin (sports hernia) and Vasilije Micic (left ankle sprain) were also sidelined. Memphis had no notable absences.
Phoenix made a lineup change with Bol Bol making his first start for the team alongside Tyus Jones, Devin Booker, Durant and Nick Richards.
Bol delivered a strong performance, finishing with 18 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks. Booker contributed 17 points and nine assists, while Jones had 11 points and nine assists.
The Suns shot 44.6% from the field and struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 12-of-44 (27.3%).
Ja Morant led Memphis with 26 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. The Grizzlies had six players score in double figures and outrebounded Phoenix 60-42.
Memphis controlled the first quarter, taking a 36-26 lead as Phoenix struggled from three-point range, hitting just 2-of-12. Santi Aldama paced the Grizzlies with 11 points on perfect shooting.
The Grizzlies extended their lead to 19 in the second quarter, heading into halftime up 68-56. Phoenix committed seven first-half turnovers, leading to 14 Memphis points.
Durant had 19 points at the break, while Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 13.
Royce O’Neale replaced Richards in the starting lineup for the second half. The Suns trailed by as many as 15 in the third but closed the period on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 95-87.
Durant hit the milestone free throw with 1:11 left in the quarter, finishing the period with 26 points.
Phoenix continued its comeback in the fourth, cutting the Grizzlies' lead to four with under nine minutes remaining.
However, Memphis responded with an 11-2 run. A Bol three-pointer brought the Suns within three at 112-109 with 2:34 left, but Phoenix managed just one more field goal as Memphis closed out the game.
Durant’s historic night adds to his Hall of Fame resume, but the Suns' recent struggles leave them fighting for playoff positioning.
Durant now sits 1,411 points behind Chamberlain for seventh on the all-time scoring list, a mark he could reach next season if he maintains his current pace.
Meanwhile, Phoenix looks to rebound Wednesday against the Houston Rockets.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ