Durant scored 35 points, including eight in overtime, as the Phoenix Suns rallied after blowing a 22-point lead in the second half to defeat the Denver Nuggets 117-107 on Tuesday.
After scoring only 12 points in the fourth quarter, the Suns erupted for 15 in overtime, paced by Durant and Bradley Beal, who scored five of his 16 in the extra frame.
Durant’s biggest shot of the night was a game-tying step-back three-pointer with 26.6 seconds left. He was 3 of 17 from the floor prior to that shot. But there was no doubt he was accepting it.
“I knew coming across half-court, ‘This is do-or-die right here, I’ve got to make this shot or it might be game,'” said Durant, who shot 14 for 34 from the field. “My fundamentals were correct on that one.”
“It felt lovely to release my hands… I absolutely adore hearing the audience go silent. That’s always a nice sensation on the road.”
Grayson Allen made eight three-pointers and scored 28 points to help the Suns end a two-game losing streak.
Denver, trailing 77-55 early in the third quarter, mounted a furious comeback to transform what appeared to be a blowout into a thriller. With 1:30 left, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit a go-ahead 3-pointer, which was followed by a Jamal Murray basket, making the score 102-99.
Durant tied it, setting the stage for Nikola Jokic, whose last-second floater failed to send the game into overtime.
“I’ve seen (Jokic) make that 95 out of 100 times,” he remarked. “We all thought it was going in.”
Murray finished with 28 points, while Jokic scored 25 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists as the Nuggets’ six-game winning streak was snapped.
“This is such a winnable game.” “That could be one of the worst losses we’ve suffered,” Murray remarked. “It’s challenging. “It’s just tough.”
Allen made eight consecutive three-pointers before missing his final four when the Nuggets assigned Caldwell-Pope as his primary defender.
“They all felt good leaving my hands,” Allen explained. “Saw a few go in early and got more aggressive with the ones I was taking and they kept going in.”
Jusuf Nurkic fouled out with 2:28 remaining, attempting to contain Jokic. Nurkic averaged 12 rebounds per game after posting a franchise record 31 against Oklahoma City.
The Suns were missing Devin Booker (ankle sprain), Nassir Little (knee), Damion Lee (meniscus surgery), and Josh Okogie (abdominal strain).
It was a crucial win for the Suns, who are currently in sixth place and on the verge of qualifying for the play-in event.
“You look at the totality of the season, obviously the end result is always important, playing in the playoffs, trying to win a championship, those are important,” Kevin Durant said. “But you celebrate little moments.”
Trailing 43-36 in the second quarter, the Suns went on a 29-5 run to take a comfortable lead into halftime. The margin grew to 22 points early in the third quarter before Denver’s rally.
“That was the message at halftime—we’re not playing hard enough,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said after his team was outscored 37-18 in the second quarter. “I think we had a couple of guys that kind of showed up tonight in chill mode.”
Jokic added to his list of buzzer-beating shots as he swished a turnaround 26-footer to close the first quarter. His shot, known as the “Sombor Shuffle,” thrilled the crowd and closed a quarter in which the teams combined for 11 of 17 3-pointers.
This was the Nuggets’ second meeting with the Suns this season, but nothing like Denver’s 119-111 victory on December 1 in Phoenix. In the game, the Suns were without Booker, Damion Lee, and Beal, while the Nuggets were without Murray.
“This is one of those situations where everyone feels better the next day. “We’ll have more clarity and positive energy tomorrow,” Murray said of his club, which shot 42.7% from the field. “But today is tough. It wasn’t just one individual who didn’t shoot properly; it was practically everyone.”