Nba All Time Scoring List: Kevin Durant jumps to No. 5 with late corner 3 as Rockets edge Heat
Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant surged up the nba all time scoring list on Sunday night, scoring his 32, 293rd career point against the Miami Heat to pass Michael Jordan for fifth. The milestone came in the fourth quarter on a clutch corner 3-pointer in a game the Rockets won 123-121. The finish was immediate and chaotic, capped by Amen Thompson’s tip-in at the buzzer off a missed Durant shot.
Durant passes Jordan for fifth in a one-possession finish
The moment that reshuffled the scoring hierarchy arrived late: Durant hit a corner 3 in the fourth quarter to reach 32, 293 career points and move ahead of Jordan into fifth place. The night still demanded closing execution, and Houston got it in the final seconds when Thompson converted the game-winner on a tip-in just before the horn.
Durant’s new position on the scoring chart places him behind Kobe Bryant, who holds fourth with 33, 643 points. In the same climb, Durant has already moved past Wilt Chamberlain and Dirk Nowitzki on the scoring charts, turning a long-running ascent into a tangible, in-game turning point.
Efficiency, injuries, and a long arc of production
Durant’s scoring rise has been framed by both longevity and efficiency, even as his career has included significant injuries since he entered the league in 2007. The list of setbacks cited includes a Jones fracture, a torn Achilles, MCL sprains, and ankle issues. He has finished with fewer than 65 games played in a regular season seven times and missed an entire campaign altogether, yet continued to score at a rate that kept pushing him upward.
Stathead figures cited for context highlight how unusual the efficiency has been for a high-volume scorer: among players with 20, 000 or more career points, Durant’s. 621 true shooting percentage ranks second all time. The same data notes there is no player in basketball history with more than 10 career games played—Durant has played 1, 188—who has matched his shooting splits from the field, 3-point line, and free-throw line (. 503/. 391/. 882).
Those numbers sit alongside a profile described as unorthodox: a 6-foot-11 forward with court vision and ball-handling like a premier point guard, wing athleticism, and center length. The season-to-season impact has also been emphasized in on-court results, with his teams performing better with him on the floor for 17 straight seasons.
Immediate reactions and what the scoring chase means next
LeBron James, speaking recently about guarding Durant, offered a direct snapshot of how opponents have experienced Durant across eras of his career: “Every version, ” James said of the hardest version of Durant he’s had to guard. “He continues to get better and better. ”
For Houston, the scoring milestone also arrives amid heavy nightly responsibility. This season, Durant is averaging 25. 7 points, 5. 5 rebounds, and 4. 4 assists per game, an output described as especially notable given he is 37 and carrying an inconsistent Rockets team.
Quick context: Durant’s career honors include 16 All-Star selections, 11 All-NBA nods, four scoring titles, league MVP and Finals MVP awards, and two championships. With Sunday’s shift on the nba all time scoring list, the next measurable development is straightforward: whether Durant can continue closing the gap to the player ahead of him, with each game now carrying the possibility of another landmark point total.
