Kevin Durant delivered a reminder, and a message, on Monday night in Houston.
With 1.1 seconds left on the clock, Durant drilled a game-winning three to lift the Rockets to a 100–97 win over the Phoenix Suns, sealing a night that was as emotional as it was decisive.
Kevin Durant hits the REVENGE GAME-WINNER over the Suns & tells them go home 😭🔥
(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/UnYyjsoXEp
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) January 6, 2026
But it wasn’t just the shot that stood out. It was everything that came after.
When asked if the moment carried extra weight against his former team, Durant didn’t hesitate.
“Most definitely,” Durant said when he was asked if the shot had any extra meaning given the opponent. “A place that I didn’t wanna leave. I don’t wanna sound too dramatic, but to be kicked out of a place and felt like I’ve been scapegoated for the issues we had as a team last year. Yeah, it felt good to beat them and hit a game-winning shot.”
Durant spent two and a half seasons in Phoenix before being traded to Houston in a blockbuster deal last summer.
During his time with the Suns, the franchise cycled through three head coaches, made the second round of the playoffs just once, and missed the postseason entirely last year.
Despite those broader issues, Durant felt the finger was pointed squarely at him.
“It feels good to play against a team that booted you out of the building and scapegoated you for all the problems they had,” Durant said. “And it hurt because I put all my effort and love and care towards the Suns and the Phoenix area and Arizona in general. But that’s just the business, that’s the name of the game. So, when you play against a [former] team, yeah you got a chip on your shoulder.”
Durant finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds, despite going just 2 of 12 from deep. That final shot, however, was all that mattered.
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