KEVIN Durant haunted his former team on Monday night (Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, PH time), burying a 27-foot three-pointer with just 1.1 seconds remaining to lift the Houston Rockets to a 100-97 victory over the Phoenix Suns, the Associated Press reported.
Durant finished with 26 points and broke a late-game tie with his clutch shot, marking his first matchup against Phoenix since a blockbuster summer trade sent him to Houston in exchange for Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green.
The Suns had an opportunity to seize the lead on their penultimate possession, but Devin Booker missed a three-point attempt and the shot clock subsequently expired with 5.1 seconds left. Following Durant’s go-ahead bucket, Booker had one final chance to force overtime, but his last-second attempt rattled off the rim.
Houston received additional support from Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr., who each tallied 17 points to help the Rockets secure their fifth win in six outings.
Booker led all scorers with 27 points, while Brooks added 15 for the Suns, who saw their two-game winning streak come to an end.
The Rockets held a seven-point lead late in the fourth quarter before Booker sparked a 10-0 run to give Phoenix a 97-94 advantage with 2 1/2 minutes remaining.
Houston eventually leveled the score when Thompson converted a three-point play with under two minutes to go, ending a field goal drought that had lasted nearly 4 1/2 minutes.
In other NBA action, the Detroit Pistons routed the New York Knicks 121-90, Boston Celtics defeated Chicago Bulls 115-101, Toronto Raptors beat Atlanta Hawks 118-100, Charlotte picked up a 124-97 road win at Oklahoma City, Denver edged Philadelphia 125-124 in overtime, Portland Trail Blazers cruised past Utah Jazz 137-117, and the Los Angeles Clippers narrowly beat the Golden State Warriors 103-102. / LBG