Suns' Kevin Durant passes Moses Malone, now 10th all-time scorer

Suns’ Kevin Durant passes Moses Malone, now 10th all-time scorer،

PHOENIX – Kevin Durant sometimes spends his free time surfing YouTube, watching old clips of NBA greats.

At 35, he continues to earn his place among them.

Durant moved into 10th place in the NBA’s career scoring list Friday night, passing Moses Malone in the second quarter of the Suns’ 119-111 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

“It’s a long journey to get up there, mentioned among the greats,” Durant said. “It takes a lot of work, a lot of preparation, a lot of people to help me get to this point.”

Durant hit the mark driving the baseline for two points with 50.3 seconds left before halftime. Durant needed 17 points to pass Malone heading into the game, the 1,003rd of his career.

Durant finished with 30 points but shot 8 of 25 from the field, including 0 of 10 in the second half. He brought his career total to 27,423. Malone had 27,409 in the NBA after starting his professional career with two seasons in the ABA.

Durant said Malone is one of the most underrated players in league history.

“As a basketball player, I think it’s our job to go back and know the history of the game and who paved the way for us,” Durant said.

The 6-foot-11 Durant is a 13-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion who played for the SuperSonics/Thunder, Warriors, Nets and Suns. He played one season in college at Texas before being picked No. 2 in the 2007 NBA draft at age 19.

He has been in the NBA for 17 seasons, missing a full year due to an Achilles injury, and is averaging over 27 points.

LeBron James leads the rankings with 39,124 points and is the only other active player in the top 25. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,397) is second, followed by Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643), Michael Jordan (32,292). , Dirk Nowitzki (31,560), Wilt Chamberlain (31,419), Shaquille O’Neal (28,596) and Carmelo Anthony (28,289).

James took to social media to congratulate Durant on breaking into the top 10.