Kevin Durant reached plenty of milestones during his time in Oklahoma City.
On Wednesday, the Phoenix Suns’ star has a chance to achieve another significant one in the arena where he spent eight seasons — if he happens to play in the game.
Durant enters the Suns’ matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder needing 26 points to become the eighth player in NBA history to score 30,000 points.
The only players ahead of Durant on the career scoring list are LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and Wilt Chamberlain.
Durant scored the first 17,566 regular-season points of his career with the Thunder franchise — his rookie season was in Seattle before the team made the move to Oklahoma City for his next eight seasons.
One surprising development occurred Tuesday when the Suns listed Durant (left ankle sprain) as doubtful for the contest. Phoenix could be shopping the 15-time All-Star prior to Thursday’s trade deadline.
The Suns come into the game having dropped back-to-back games — both at Portland — and three of their last four.
The most recent loss was 121-119 in overtime to the Trail Blazers on Monday.
In that game, Devin Booker passed Hall of Famer Walter Davis to become Phoenix’s career scoring leader in his 10th season with the organization. Booker has 15,678 points for the Suns.
Booker said he doesn’t take for granted playing his entire career to this point with one team.
“It is foreign in this league for people to do what the Tim Duncans and Dirk Nowitzkis and Kobe Bryants did all under one roof, all under one house,” Booker said. “I came in at 18 not knowing what to expect.”
There was a time when it looked like Durant had a chance to do that, leading the Thunder to the 2012 NBA Finals. But in the summer of 2016, Durant signed with Golden State and helped the Warriors win titles in each of his first two seasons there. After his departure from Oklahoma City, Durant was met with plenty of hostility when he returned, though that has lessened over time.
It has helped that the Thunder have surged in recent seasons as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has bloomed into a superstar in his own right
Gilgeous-Alexander is turning in a unique season, leading the NBA at 32.5 points per game. Among the top 10 scorers in the league — a group that includes both Durant and Booker — Gilgeous-Alexander’s 34.1 minutes per game is the lowest.
Of course it has helped that the Thunder are outscoring opponents by an average of 12.7 points per game. In Oklahoma City’s back-to-back wins coming into Wednesday’, the Thunder have won by an average of 31.5 points per game.
Gilgeous-Alexander has combined for 63 points during those wins over Sacramento and Milwaukee, not playing in the fourth quarter of either game.
When he was pulled midway through the third quarter Monday vs. Milwaukee, Gilgeous-Alexander — at least for a moment — showed frustration.
“I would like to play as much as I can,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I wake up, come to the game to compete. Now, Coach (Mark Daigneault) makes a decision on how much he wants me to play, but I would like to play as much as I get the opportunity to.”
Wednesday’s meeting is the second of three between the teams this season.
Oklahoma City won the first matchup, 99-83, on Nov. 15 behind 28 points in less than 33 minutes from Gilgeous-Alexander.
Durant missed that matchup due to a calf injury.
The Thunder have won 24 of their last 28 overall.
–Field Level Media
