HOUSTON — Kevin Durant scored 26 points, hit the game-winning 3 with 1.1 seconds left and addressed being blamed for how the Phoenix Suns fared in his time with the team all on one night.
Durant didn’t mince words after leading the Houston Rockets to a 100-97 victory over his former team on Monday before a sellout crowd of 18,055 at Toyota Center.
“It feels good to play against a team that booted you out of the building and scapegoated you for all the problems that they had and it hurt because I put all my effort, love and care towards the Suns and Phoenix area and Arizona in general, but that’s just the business. That’s the name of the game.”
Houston Rockets' Kevin Durant celebrates with Amen Thompson after making a game-winning 3-point basket against the Phoenix Suns during the second half, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in Houston.
Takeaways incoming, but let’s stay right here for a minute.
The Suns shipped Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four first-round picks to Brooklyn before the 2023 trade deadline to acquire Durant, thinking championship or bust. Phoenix never made it past the Western Conference semifinals in Durant’s time in Phoenix and missed the playoffs last season with a 36-46 record.
While roster construction and changing coaches factored into the Suns' underachieving, Durant faced a heap of criticism that has risen with Phoenix playing above expectations this season, and Dillon Brooks being a big reason why.
The thought has been that Phoenix is playing harder than last season’s team, and that can be interpreted as a slight toward Durant.
Never shying away from what fans, media and whoever else has an opinion says, Durant voiced his feelings about being viewed as a scapegoat for how Phoenix performed in his time there.
“When you play against a team, yeah you got a chip on your shoulder,” Durant said. “You don’t want it to get too big or have too big of a chip that it gets in the way of the game or my teammates, but in the back of my mind, it’s there."
He also reminded the Suns with that 28-footer over Royce O’Neale for the win of what they once had. Durant was 1-of-11 from 3 before nailing the game’s biggest one.
“It’s nothing but love for the players, but I want to beat that team,” the 37-year-old Durant continued. “I want to show them that I still got some juice in the tank even though I’m old. I still can play. I feel like every player has that mentality playing against their former team. I don’t think it’s malicious in any way towards them, but as a competitor, you want to go out there and beat them and to beat them on a game-winning shot like that, yeah.”
Durant concluded, “By the time I get home tonight, I probably won’t remember it (smiles). I will remember it, but I’ll try my best to forget about it and move on to the next game.”
Both teams are in good places right now.
The Rockets (22-11) stand fifth in the West and are a championship contender with Durant. The Suns (21-15) are seventh in the conference and in the mix for a postseason bid without him.
Durant proved to be the difference between the two teams as Houston improved to 3-0 against Phoenix this season.
The Suns next play on Wednesday at the Memphis Grizzlies, at 6 p.m. Here are additional takeaways from the Rockets game.
'I’ll live with the results'
Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker (1) goes up for a shot as Houston Rockets' Tari Eason (17) defends during the first half, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in Houston.
The Suns rallied after trailing by seven points midway through the fourth quarter to take a 97-94 lead with 2:12 left.
Amen Thompson tied the game at 97-97 with a three-point play with 1:59 remaining to set the stage for a dramatic finish.
The Suns had withstood Houston's increasing intensity and effort on the defensive end in limiting them to zero fastbreak points in the second half after generating 23 in the first half.
They looked to complete the second of a back-to-back with another impressive win after stunning defending NBA champion Oklahoma City, 108-105, on Sunday at home.
Devin Booker hit a game-winning 3 over Alex Caruso and an incoming Lu Dort with 0.7 seconds left in the game. He once again had the ball in his hands with a chance to deliver a game-winning shot, this time on the road.
With 29 seconds remaining, Suns coach Jordan Ott wasn’t comfortable forcing a two-for-one situation and taking a quick shot. So, Booker ran down the clock from the top with Tari Eason guarding him, and everyone else spread out.
He went left, got off a solid look from the 3-point line, but missed everything and that resulted in a shot clock violation.
“I just lost the ball a little bit on the pickup,” said Booker, who finished with a game-high 27 points. “Forced me to shoot it long, but I'll live with the results.”
Phoenix could’ve run a play even though Booker had just delivered in a similar fashion.
'I knew it was going up'
The Rockets called a timeout and took possession with 5.1 seconds left.
Durant was ready.
“I knew it was going up as soon as I left the huddle,” he said. “Tie game and I knew the play Coach (Ime Udoka) set up it would be tough for them to run and jump and double team me.”
Brooks felt O’Neale had defended Durant well all night. Having played with Durant in Brooklyn and Phoenix, O’Neale knows Durant’s game.
He anticipated Durant going left.
“Tried to make it tough for him,” O’Neale said. “He usually goes to his left hesitation pull. Tried to force him into a tough shot. He made a tough shot.”
That Durant did, but getting to his right shooting hand spelled doom for the Suns.
“Royce is right there,” Ott said. “Book is in the shadows. We guarded their initial action of it. They didn't have an advantage in their initial action. It's hard to help too much. They're such a great cutting team and offensive rebounding team.”
The Suns wanted someone else to launch – and for good reason.
“Obviously a tough shot, but not the first time we've seen (Durant) do it,” Ott said.
'Multiple times'
Now down three, the Suns sought a catch-and-shoot 3.
With O’Neale inbounding following a Suns timeout, he looked cross-court to Booker, but former Suns wing Josh Okogie nearly stole the pass.
Booker gathered it, but he missed a forced 3 at the horn.
“The pass was actually pretty close to being on the money,” Ott said. “Execution was pretty good overall. We've walked through that play multiple times. Okogie was a little bit off (Jordan Goodwin’s) body a little bit. So, it's hard to tell if they were going to switch or not.”
Totally understandable that Booker got the final look, but that perhaps was a time to give Brooks a shot against his former team in Houston.
Brooks was an option for a corner 3 closer to O’Neale, but Durant was there.
Still, O’Neale’s cross-court pass gave the defense time to react and defend it.
