Kevin Durant moves into 11th on NBA scoring list as Suns rout Trail Blazers

The Phoenix Suns blew out the Portland Trail Blazers 120-107 at home on Tuesday.

Phoenix (8-6) extended its win steak to four games, and Portland (3-11) was handed its eighth consecutive loss.

Phoenix avoided elimination from th In-Season Tournament after improving to 3-1 in West Group A play. Portland falls to 1-3 in Group Play and is now out of the tournament.

Kevin Durant had Phoenix's game-high 31 points to maintain his 31.4 average this season, and added nine assists in the victory. Moreover, Durant passed Elvin Hayes for 11th place on the all-time NBA scoring list. He entered the game needing 14 to pass Hayes, and got them all in the first quarter.

Durant, with 27,314 points, needs 95 to crack the top 10. Moses Malone sits in 10th place with 27,409 points.

Portland's Jerami Grant had a team-high 26 points and former Suns player Deandre Ayton had 18 points and eight rebounds.

Phoenix, which also for 28 points and 6 assists from Devin Booker, outran Portland by scoring 20 fast break points to five.

Phoenix plays the second of its back-to-back games against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday at 8 p.m.

Suns' lead continues to rise behind Durant, Booker into 4th

Phoenix is still ahead 94-82 entering the fourth quarter.

Kevin Durant and Devin Booker keep upping the ante on Portland, and Phoenix is following suit. Durant scored 12 of 26 points and Booker had eight of his total 20 in the third.

Phoenix has been running all over Portland, scoring 18 fast break points to Portland's one in that category.

Portland's veteran Jerami Grant has its team-high 23 points on 50% shooting.

Suns hold off Blazers' run to keep lead at halftime

Phoenix leads 56-51 at the break.

After Portland trailed by double digits in the opening period, the young squad blazed back on a 21-8 run to tie the game at 42-42 near the second quarter's midpoint.

Phoenix regained the lead thereafter to counter Portland's surge.

Kevin Durant and Portland's Deandre Ayton are matched for the current game-high 14 points. Devin Booker has 12 points, five assists, and three rebounds.

Portland's other top scorers are Malcolm Brogdon (11), Jerami Grant (10) and backup center Duop Reath (10).

Suns lead after 1st quarter, Durant makes history

Phoenix finished the opening period on a 34-21 lead over Portland.

Durant also made history in the process. As he was subbed in by Devin Booker (four points, four assists, one steal) at the two minute mark, Durant was recognized by the arena's PA announcer for passing Elvin Hayes for 11th on the league's all-time scoring list. Durant now has 27,314 career points.

Suns play tribute video for Ayton

Ayton was shown love by his hometown team Phoenix before tonight's game.

Phoenix played its tribute video for his five seasons played in The Valley, including the team's run to the finals in his third season in 2021.

Ayton was Phoenix's only No. 1 overall pick in franchise history three years prior after his one-and-done year at Arizona. He also starred at Gilbert Hillcrest Prep during his last two years of high school.

After his last two seasons that was filled with media speculation of acrimony between Ayton and Phoenix's front office, he was traded to Portland. It was a three-team deal in which he was sent alongside Phoenix's second-round pick from this past June's draft, Toumani Camara. Portland shipped off its longtime franchise star Damian Lillard to Milwaukee, and Portland received Jrue Holiday, Phoenix acquired Grayson Allen from Milwaukee as well as Nassir Little, Jusuf Nurkic, and Keon Johnson from Portland.

Starting lineups

Phoenix's starting five is Devin Booker and Grayson Allen at guard, forwards Kevin Durant and Eric Gordon, and Yusuf Nurkic at center.

This is the fourth straight game with the same starting lineup since Booker's return from his right calf injury in Phoenix's home win over Minnesota last Wednesday.

Portland's opening lineup includes Malcolm Brogdon and Shaedon Sharpe in the backcourt, Jerami Grant at small forward, and former Suns players Toumani Camara and Deandre Ayton at the four and five spots, respectively.

Phoenix looks to avoid In-Season Tournament elimination

This game is a cliffhanger for Phoenix regarding the In-Season Tournament.

Phoenix will be hosting its fourth game competing in the tournament's West Group A. That group is comprised by the Los Angeles Lakers (3-0), Utah Jazz (2-1), Phoenix (2-1), Portland (1-2), and Memphis Grizzlies (0-3), which are in first through fifth place, respectively.

Phoenix needs to beat Portland to stave off elimination from the Knockout Round, which are the quarterfinals to be played in the team market with the better Group Play record on Dec. 4 and 5. If Portland beats Phoenix and Utah wins tonight at Los Angeles, Phoenix is out of the tournament.

Durant likely reaching NBA all-time scoring list's 11th place

One of this game's top storylines is the return of Phoenix's former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton, as he faces his former team for the first time this season after he was traded to Portland in September.

But Kevin Durant closing in on making history is even bigger.

Durant needs 14 points against Portland to pass Elvin Hayes (27,313 career points) for 11th place on the league's all-time scoring list, and is 109 shy of Moses Malone for 10th.

That's likely to happen based on Durant playing at an MVP level through Phoenix's first 13 games. He's the league's second-best scorer, averaging 31.4 points per game, barely behind the reigning MVP in Philadelphia's Joel Embiid (31.9 ppg).

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kevin Durant 11th all-time among NBA scorers as Suns rout Blazers