NBA: Kevin Durant Drops 33 Points as Phoenix Suns beat Brooklyn Nets
The Phoenix Suns defeated the Brooklyn Nets 136-120 thanks to Kevin Durant’s 33 points.
The two-time NBA champion, who asked to be traded to the Suns last season, was booed once the game began, despite being applauded when a tribute film was shown earlier.
“Even though I love these people here, I love to shut them up,” Durant said after recording eight assists, five rebounds, and two blocks at Barclays Centre in New York.
Durant played for the Nets for more than three years before joining the Suns in January 2023 as part of a trade that sent Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and four first-round picks to Phoenix.
Durant exchanged a quick hug with Nets coach Jacque Vaughn and his former teammates after the game.
The Phoenix Suns were on fire, as Durant’s teammates, Devin Booker and Jusuf Nurkic scored 22 points and 28 points, respectively, ending the Nets’ three-game winning streak.
The Suns lie in sixth position in the Western Conference while the Nets are eleventh in the Eastern Conference.
In another game, Anfernee Simons dropped 24 points as the Portland Trailblazers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 119-116.
The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Washington Wizards 125-109 thanks to 31 points and nine rebounds from Kawhi Leonard, despite missing the entire fourth quarter.
Donovan Mitchell scored 45 points, with 20 of those coming in the fourth quarter to help the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Detroit Pistons 128-121.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler scored 31 points to help the Miami Heat defeat the Sacramento Kings 115-106, ending a seven-game losing run. Coby White was also on fire scoring 35 points to help the Chicago Bulls defeat the Charlotte Hornets 117-110.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to victory with, dropping points over the Denver Nuggets. The game ended 105-100 in Thunder’s favour.
