What does it mean to beat the people you feel like once pushed you out the door? Kevin Durant had the answer — and then some.
Durant delivered the final blow against the Phoenix Suns on Monday night, burying a deep jumper with 1.1 seconds remaining to lift the Houston Rockets to a 100–97 victory at Toyota Center. The arena erupted. The moment lingered. And afterward, Durant shared why the performance felt special.
When asked whether the victory carried extra weight because it came against Phoenix, Durant was unequivocal. “Most definitely,” he said in a news conference after the game. “A place that I didn’t want to leave. My first time — I don’t want to sound too dramatic, but I will — to be kicked out of a place.”
The game was deadlocked before Durant authored the ending. Taking an inbounds pass with Royce O’Neale draped over him, Durant took two dribbles, rose comfortably from 27 feet and splashed the shot that decided the game.
Durant spent two and a half seasons in Phoenix before being dealt to Houston in a headline-grabbing trade last summer, a move that sent Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green to the Suns. The reunion, however brief, came with unresolved emotion.
“It feels good to play against a team that booted you out of the building and scapegoated you for all the problems they had,” the 15-time All-Star 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.”
.@KDTrey5 called GAME 📣 pic.twitter.com/R62MlM43TU
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) January 6, 2026
Durant’s tenure in Phoenix was turbulent. The Suns advanced past the first round just once during his stint and failed to make the playoffs last season altogether. He also played under three different head coaches, a sign of the instability that followed.
Still, Durant made clear the motivation wasn’t personal, at least not entirely. “It’s nothing but love for the players, but I want to beat that team,” he said. “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 just as a competitor, you want to go out there and beat them.”
He also suggested the emotional edge would fade quickly. “By the time I get home tonight, I probably won’t even remember it,” he said. “Well, I will remember it, but I’ll try my best to forget about it and move on to the next one.”
Monday marked Houston’s third meeting with Phoenix this season — and the Rockets have won all three. Durant finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead Houston. Devin Booker paced the Suns with 27 points in the loss.
Despite the defeat, Phoenix remains in a solid position at 21–15, having won six of its last eight games to surge up the Western Conference standings to seventh. Houston is 22-11, sitting fifth in the West.