Kevin Durant is quickly becoming one of the best scorers in NBA history.
The Oklahoma City Thunder forward scored 38 points in his team’s 122-115 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night. It was Durant’s 41st consecutive game with 25 or more points, which surpasses Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan’s mark of 40 that was set in 1986-87.
Jordan didn’t win the MVP that season, and Durant might not win this year’s award given how well Miami Heat superstar LeBron James has played, but the Thunder forward deserves a ton of praise for his latest accomplishment. He’s the main reason why OKC has led the Northwest Division throughout the season despite superstar point guard Russell Westbrook missing 44 games because of injury.
Durant now trails Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson (46 in 1963-64) and Wilt Chamberlain (80 in 1961-62) for the most consecutive games of 25-plus points in a single season.
Durant entered Sunday’s schedule of games as the league’s leading scorer with 31.1 points per game, nearly five points ahead of New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony in second place. He’s also won the scoring title in four of the last five seasons.
