Kevin Durant

Extraordinary enough in his craft to make one reconsider what qualifies as a “tough shot,” Kevin Durant used January 18, 2025 to break all of the rules, and the Detroit Pistons’ hearts, all at once. Unable to shake free of Detroit's new-and-improved form, neither on the scoreboard nor on-court, Durant keeps calm after Tobias Harris perfectly matches the screech on his brake-pumping behind-the-back dribble. Equivalent to that of a “select your difficulty” video game character programmed with counters for every move, Durant merely pivots inside, working a stealthy reverse spin that frees his vision for a cold-blooded 12-footer. Humorously pressing mute on the “DEFENSE” chants of Detroit’s home crowd, Durant’s midrange bucket, poetically, had deep implications on the game’s result, as the Phoenix Suns survived a four-point shootout. Producer of big-time buckets throughout, the four-time scoring champion treated box scores to 36 points (on 13-of-27 shooting), seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, three steals, and two triples.