Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant passed Moses Malone for 10th spot on the NBA’s all-time scoring list after draining a baseline bucket late in the second quarter of Friday’s 119-111 defeat to the Denver Nuggets.
Durant, a four-time scoring champion, joins the elite list in his 16th season at age 35. The 13-time All-Star missed the entire 2019-20 season due to an Achilles injury.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, who sits at the top of the scoring list after surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar last season, congratulated Durant following the achievement:
“It’s a long journey to be up there, to be mentioned with the greats,” Durant told reporters postgame. “It takes a lot of work, it takes a lot of preparation, and a lot of people to help you get to that point.
“I’m grateful and thinking about the people that helped me get to this point: all my teammates, coaches, family, friends that invested in me since (I was) a kid.”
Durant finished the night with 30 points on 8-of-25 shooting and went 0-for-10 from the field in the second half. He also chipped in 11 assists as the Suns fell to 11-8 on the season.
The Texas product is averaging 31.2 points per game this season, which is second only behind Philadelphia 76ers center and reigning MVP Joel Embiid.
