Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant hit a 3-pointer with 7:57 left in the third quarter on Friday night, moving him into seventh place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, but it couldn’t prevent his team from losing 111-105 to the host Portland Trail Blazers.
Durant’s trey allowed him to pass the legendary Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) during Friday night’s game.
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The 3-pointer gave him 17 points on the night and pushed Durant’s career point total to 31,422 points. Durant finished with 30 points, bringing his career points to 31,435.
Durant matched Chamberlain’s total by bouncing a turnaround jumper from the free throw line with 1:53 left in the second quarter. Houston led 56-55 at halftime.
Durant passed Chamberlain in his 1,156th career game. Chamberlain played in 1,045 games in a 14-year career with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Los Angeles Lakers from 1959 to 1973.
Durant’s next target is former Dallas Mavericks star and sixth-leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki (31,560 points). Durant is on pace to pass Nowitzki by the end of this month, barring any injuries.
LeBron James is the leading scorer in NBA history, reaching 42,601 points after scoring 26 points in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 105-101 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) is the second-leading scorer in NBA history. Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643) and Michael Jordan (32,292) round out the top five.
NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder defeats Memphis Grizzlies
On Friday, the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder erased a 21-point deficit in the third quarter to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 117-116 as Jaylen Williams added 26 points and Kenrich Williams added 21 points.
Kenrich Williams hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:07 left and the Thunder won the game in the final seconds, when Alex Caruso blocked Grizzlies guard Cedric Coward’s last-gasp attempt despite the absence of NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and center Chet Holmgren.
Gilgeous-Alexander is out with a sprained ankle, and Holmgren is nursing a sore shin and joins Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams on OKC’s injured list.
“The resilience of our team is amazing,” Thunder manager Mark Daigneault said. “There were a lot of moments in that game where we were trying to break through and then something would happen again and it would blow in our faces.
“The team still continued to compete,” Daigneault added, after the Thunder improved to the league’s best record at 32-7.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis with 23 points and seven rebounds. Despite the uncertainty caused by Jay Morant’s continued absence and trade rumors swirling around the star guard, the Thunder were on the ropes for much of the night.
Morant missed four consecutive games with a calf injury, and there were reports that the Grizzlies would consider a trade offer for Morant.
Coach Tuomas Isalo declined to comment on the pre-match reports, saying his team was fully focused on facing the reigning champions.
Coach Isalo said the Grizzlies were unable to maintain their level in the second half.
“They’re a very experienced team,” he said. “They’ve faced a lot of pressure situations, but they also know how to turn it to their advantage, and we’re learning that.”
Bucks, Golden State and Celtics also win
The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Lakers 105-101 in Los Angeles.
Kevin Porter Jr. scored 22 points, including four free throws with 16.2 seconds left.
Giannis Antetokounmpo added 21 points and clinched the victory with a big block on LeBron James and a crucial steal of a James pass with just seconds left.
James led the Lakers with 26 points and Luka Doncic added 24 points before fouling out with 16.2 seconds left, when a foul on Porter’s 3-point shot sent Porter to the line, where he made 2 of 3 to give the Bucks a 103-101 lead.
After Antetokounmpo flicked the ball away from James, Porter added two more free throws as insurance.
Golden State star Stephen Curry scored 27 points and had 10 of his 39 assists in the Warriors’ 137-103 home victory over Sacramento.
In Boston, the Celtics led by as many as 20 points on their way to a 125-117 victory over the Toronto Raptors, entering the game on a three-game winning streak that brought them within one game of Boston for third place in the East Division.
Peyton Pritchard scored 27 points, leading six Celtics players to score in double figures. Jaylen Brown had 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
