Inside The Rockets

Kevin Durant Hits 31k Points in Rockets' Win vs. Suns

Houston blew out Phoenix last night, with its star scorer reaching a major career milestone in the process.
Jed Katz|
Dec 5, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) controls the ball during the game against the Phoenix Suns at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Dec 5, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) controls the ball during the game against the Phoenix Suns at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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Houston Rockets

There was a lot to unpack from the Houston Rockets' 117-98 win over the Phoenix Suns last night. In their second matchup of the season, the story was more of the same: the Rockets were lights out on the offensive end while playing stifling defense on the Suns.

The night was emotional for several reasons. For one, Dillon Brooks made his return to Houston after being involved in the Kevin Durant trade in the offseason. Jalen Green, the other player sent to Phoenix, did not play, but also received a tribute video, as he and Brooks were a major part of the Rockets' rise to relevance over the last few years.

On Houston's end, one of the most notable parts of the night was Durant hitting a major career milestone. The 37-year-old became the eighth player in NBA history to reach 31,000 points. Coming into last night's game, he needed just four points to do so.

Durant put on another superstar performance, dropping 28 points, four rebounds, eight assists and three steals on 11-for-17 shooting. He took just two three-pointers all game, hitting vintage mid-range shots while attacking the basket.

The 6-foot-11 sniper is perhaps the biggest reason why the Rockets' offense has taken a major leap this season. Houston had the No. 1 offensive rating in the league to start, but has slipped a bit since then. Nevertheless, the team is still elite on that end, posting a 121.7 rating right now, good for fourth in the NBA.

After the game, Durant was asked about what it means to hit such a rare mark in the pantheon of basketball's greats. The future Hall-of-Fame player acknowledged that, but also made it clear that he hope to keep going and moving up the all-time scoring list.

"It means a lot," Durant said. "Grateful I'm still here in the league at this age, playing and contributing to a team. Just grateful for that. Having so many great teammates and coaches that invested in me, got me better and spent time away from their families and their lives to help me get better at basketball...

"I've got more to do. I'm grateful to still be playing and hopefully I keep doing this, keep moving up the charts."

The Rockets will finish up the latter part of their back-to-back with a road game against the Dallas Mavericks tonight. Houston has a chance to extend its winning streak to three games.

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Jed Katz
JED KATZ

Jed is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in journalism. He also contributes at several other basketball outlets, including has his own basketball blog and podcast — The Sixth Man Report.

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