Kevin Durant’s reaction to adding Wilt Chamberlain to the scoring list

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant delivered the milestone on Friday night despite a 111-105 loss to the Portland Trail Blazersmoving Wilt Chamberlain on the NBA’s all-time scoring list and thinking afterwards about the importance of the moment.

Durant entered the game with 15 points to surpass Chamberlain’s career total of 31,419. He followed with a jumper at 7:57 of the third quarter, giving him 31,422 points and moving him ahead of the late Hall of Famer.

“To be among the greats is always an honor,” Durant told Ann M. Peterson of the Associated Press after the game. “Wilt is someone I’ve studied and tried to emulate as much as I can, that kind of player. Like I always say, he set the standard for NBA players and (I’m) grateful to have achieved that — and inspired by what he produced for the game of basketball.”

The 37-year-old finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocks while logging 39 minutes. He shot 11-for-20 from the field, 4-for-9 from beyond the arc and 4-for-4 from the free throw line in one of his most complete performances of the season.

With a turning point, Durant is now seventh on the NBA’s career scoring list. Dirk Nowitzki remains sixth with 31,560 points, which Durant could get closer to as the season progresses.

Kevin Durant’s milestone Wilt Chamberlain caps an elite season with the Rockets

In his first season with the Houston Rockets, Durant continued to produce at an elite level. In 33 games, he is averaging 26.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and one block per game, while shooting 52.1 percent from the field and 40.3 percent from three-point range. He is also averaging 36.2 minutes per game, highlighting his central role in Houston’s offense.

Rockets coach Ime Udoka was not surprised by the achievement, pointing to Durant’s preparation and consistency.

“No, it doesn’t surprise me when you see the work ethic and what he does every day,” Udoka said before Friday night’s game.

Portland coach Thiago Splitter also praised Durant, noting that he has been impressed since Durant’s early years with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“Just a young Kevin Durant, scoring 30 every night, and continuing to do that, which is amazing,” Splitter said. “At his age, of course, he’s probably at the end of his career, but just to do that every night is just impressive.”

After the game, Durant acknowledged the wider path behind the numbers.

“These milestones always make me think about the people who helped me get to this point — the journey I’ve been through, the close calls and the things that could have happened many times in my life,” Durant said. “So to be here, very, very grateful, and Portland is such a classy, ​​classy city to recognize me in that moment and honor me.”

Durant and the Rockets, now 22-13, will wrap up their three-game road trip Sunday night against the Sacramento Kings (8-30) at 9:00 PM ET.