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Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns returned to winning ways by getting past the Philadelphia 76ers at Footprint Center on Wednesday. The 115-102 win sees them vault back into contention for seventh place in the Western Conference with a 40-29 record to tie with the Dallas Mavericks.
Durant ended his evening with 22 points, eight rebounds, and four assists and achieved another milestone as he surpassed Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal on the All-time scoring list.
Durant shot 10-for-18 from the field and 2-for-6 from the three-point range in his 36 minutes of action. The side also involved both Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, who scored 18 and three points, respectively. It was a forgettable outing for the latter as he went 1-for-6 from the field and 1-for-4 from beyond the arc. Also leading from the front was Grayson Allen with a game-high 32 points coupled with three boards and five assists.
The focus though was on Durant as the veteran put on another consistent performance to keep his side in contention for a playoff berth. The win doesn't necessarily guarantee a massive surge in standings but will give them the momentum they needed after their loss to the Milwaukee Bucks earlier.
Kevin Durant surpasses Shaquille O'Neal to take eighth place in the NBA's all-time scoring list
Kevin Durant continued his prime run in the NBA as he surpassed 4x NBA champion and former LA Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal on the all-time scoring list. The forward eclipsed O'Neal's 28,596 points when he took the floor against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.
Up next is Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) at seventh and Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki (31,560) at six.
Durant, the No. 2 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft was one of the major blockbuster trades last season ahead of the deadline as he inked a deal with the Phoenix Suns. The team made the second round of the playoffs before being edged out by the Denver Nuggets. This season, the franchise added Bradley Beal to bolster the side and add more offensive firepower alongside Durant and Devin Booker.
Expectations are high on the veteran, who has 13 NBA All-Star nods and one league MVP honor to his name to help the Suns win their maiden NBA title. This season, he averages 27.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists per contest. Only time will tell if Kevin Durant can help Phoenix make a deeper run and get a third title to add to his already-decorated resume.
