Nets’ Kevin Durant becomes 19th player to reach 26K career points

On Thursday night, Kevin Durant became the 19th player to reach 26,000 career points in the Brooklyn Nets’ 109-107 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Durant ranks 22nd overall on the all-time career points list (26,016). The 12-time All-Star needs 56 points to pass Kevin Garnett for the 21st spot.

According to some NBA betting sites, the Nets have the sixth-best odds to win the championship in 2023. A few sportsbooks are showing higher odds for the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.

Moving on up 📈

Kevin Durant becomes the 19th player to reach 26,000 career points 👏 pic.twitter.com/kDcZnyXa45

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 18, 2022

Furthermore, the Nets forward needs 379 points to pass John Havlicek for 20th and 381 points to pass Paul Pierce for 19th on the list. Plus, San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan retired with 26,496 points.

Barring a major injury, Durant will pass all the mentioned players in career points this season. Last season, in 55 starts, the forward amassed 1,643 points.

If the 15-year veteran stays healthy, the Nets star could pass George Gervin (26,595) at 17th, Dominque Williams (26,668) for 16th, and Oscar Robinson (26,710) at 15th on the all-time list.

Nets forward Kevin Durant is the 19th player in NBA history to reach 26,000 career points

Through 16 starts this season, Durant is averaging 30.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.8 blocks. The forward has scored 490 points so far this season.

When Durant averaged a career-high 32 points in the 2013-14 season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he finished with a grand total of 2,593 points back then.

In the Nets’ win over the Trail Blazers, the two-time Finals MVP ended his performance with 35 points, 8.0 boards, and 3.0 assists in 39 minutes. He finished 13-of-22 (59.1%) shooting from the floor and 1-of-4 (25%) from beyond the arc.

Congratulations to Kevin Durant on becoming the 19th player in NBA history to score 26,000 career points 👏 pic.twitter.com/8St73cvEIw

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 18, 2022

With 0.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Royce O’Neale scored on a tip-in to end his night with a triple-double and to give Brooklyn the 109-107 win. In 38 minutes, the Nets forward had 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists.

Of course, Ben Simmons scored a season-high 15 points before fouling out with 24 seconds left.

“He was incredible tonight,” Kevin Durant said of Simmons after the win. “I thought he did a good job of commanding the offense, commanding the team on the defensive side of the ball. He was able to control the game and get us back into it.”

Additionally, Durant has reached 25 points through his first 16 games this season, the most by an NBA player since Michael Jordan in the 1988-89 season.

However, as stated before, the Nets star has to stay healthy.