Kevin Durant Makes History During Nets vs. Cavs Game
It didn't take long for Kevin Durant to make history on Monday night in Cleveland.
The Brooklyn Nets superstar forward passed San Antonio Spurs legend, Tim Duncan, for 15th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list in the first quarter. The next player for 12-time NBA All-Star to pass on one of the most prestigious lists in league history is nine-time All-Star Dominique Wilkins.
Durant, who entered Monday night's contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers with 26,484 career points, has passed a number of legends on the all-time scoring list through the first 33 games of the 2022-23 regular season. Some of those players he passed were Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, John Havlicek, and Paul Pierce.
Out of the 14 players ahead of Durant on the NBA's all-time scoring list, he is only one of two players that are currently playing in the league. The other player is Los Angeles Lakers forward, LeBron James. The four-time NBA champion (second on the list with 37,758 points) is on pace to surpass Kareem Abdull-Jabbar for the coveted top spot.
Through 33 games played, Durant is forging one of the best seasons in his 16-year career. He is averaging 29.9 points on 57.3 percent shooting from the field and 92.7 percent shooting from the free throw line, to pair with 6.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.6 blocks in 36.4 minutes per game.
In fact, he ranks in the top five in the highest shooting percentage in the restricted area (80.5), in the paint, non-restricted area (61.1), and mid-range (53.2). Durant has scored 25+ points in 27 of his 32 games played this season. He leads the league in that category. To dive deeper, the forward has shot 50.0 percent or better in 22 of those 27 games. That also leads the league.
