PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix Suns well-known instigator Dillon Brooks was trying to get under the skin of Houston Rockets superstar Kevin Durant during a possession in the second quarter on Tuesday night, talking his usual trash while playing physical defense.
That turned out to be a mistake.
On the ensuing play, Durant juked Brooks, driving past him and making a jumper while Brooks stumbled to his knees. The play helped the Rockets rally from an early 21-point
deficit for a 119-105 victory in Durant's return to the desert after spending 2 1/2 seasons with the Suns from 2023-25.
Durant brushed aside questions about whether Brooks' antics motivated him. The 37-year-old forward finished with 24 points and shot 5 of 9 on 3-pointers after being greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from Phoenix fans during pregame introductions.
“I'm not giving him that — he doesn't get that kind of credit with me,” Durant said. "Maybe some other guys may turn up because he talks to them, but he's not that important or special to me to get me going. I wake up getting ready to play.
“But I respect Dillon, I respect what he brings to the game. Like I said earlier, I think that gets him going more than me. I just happened to get that ball right afterwards and make a good move.”
Durant came to the Suns in 2023 as part of a four-team, trade-deadline deal just hours after Mat Ishbia officially took the reins of the franchise as a majority owner. The splashy move was widely praised at the time.
However, Durant's tenure in the desert was mostly notable for the lack of postseason success. He played well on an individual level — making the All-Star team in both full seasons — while the team regressed.
The Suns lost to the eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals in 2023, got swept in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2024 and didn't even make the playoffs in 2025.
Durant was eventually traded during the offseason in a move that's worked out well for both sides. He's averaging nearly 26 points per game for the Rockets, who are on a seven-game winning streak and improved to 50-29.
The Suns have also been better than expected at 43-36 — partly thanks to the arrival of Brooks and Jalen Green. The two came to Phoenix as part of the Durant deal. It was Green's first time playing against his former team after he missed the first three meetings with a hamstring injury.
Green finished with 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting.
First-year Suns coach Jordan Ott worked with Durant when the two were with the Brooklyn Nets from 2020-22. Ott spoke highly of the 16-time All-Star, reminiscing about how Durant nearly carried the Nets past the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals before losing in seven games.
The Bucks went on to win the NBA title against the Suns.
“Just his day-to-day, consistent work ethic, it's not a surprise the career he's had,” Ott said pregame. “Just his ability to match every moment, even in those playoffs where we were banged-up in that series with Milwaukee. Lot of good memories.”
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