US EditionDurant Admits Game-Winner over Suns Meant More because He Was 'Kicked Out'
Kevin Durant scored 26 points including a game-winning 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left as the Rockets overcame a 13-point third-quarter deficit to defeat the Suns.
- On Jan 6, 2026, in Houston, Kevin Durant hit a 27-foot go-ahead 3 with 1.1 seconds left, lifting the Houston Rockets to a 100-97 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
- Durant, who was traded this summer in a blockbuster deal sending Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green to the Phoenix Suns, said he played with a chip on his shoulder after feeling 'kicked out' of Phoenix.
- Durant, who had struggled from deep earlier, was 1-for-11 before drilling the game-winning 3-pointer and finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds as Phoenix's final possession ended with the shot clock expiring.
- Houston picked up its fifth win in six games with Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. adding 17 points each, while the result ended Phoenix's two-game streak and Booker scored 27 as the Suns prepare for Wednesday's Memphis visit.
- After a nearly 15-minute clock and scoreboard malfunction, the Rockets outrebounded the Suns 51-40 and won second-chance points 21-5, while the Suns played on the second night of a back-to-back after plane arrival issues.
37 Articles
37 Articles
Kevin Durant scored 26 points and his three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left to play led the Houston Rockets to a 100-97 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night.
KD savors winner vs. Suns after being 'kicked out'
Rockets star Kevin Durant said hitting the winning shot Monday night against the Suns meant more because it came against his former team, one "that booted you out of the building and scapegoated you for all the problems they had."
Kevin Durant’s late 3 helps Rockets outlast Suns
Kevin Durant nailed a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining, and the Houston Rockets rallied for a 100-97 win over the visiting Phoenix Suns on Monday to secure the four-game season series.Durant was 1-for-11 from behind the arc before sinking the game-winner and capping his 26-point performance. Jabari Smith Jr., who chipped in 17 points and seven rebounds and was instrumental in helping Houston erase a 13-point second-half deficit, assisted on …
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