Kevin Durant came up short in the NBA Player of the Month selection for December and January, losing out to Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid on Tuesday, but the Brooklyn Nets forward has made a loud, clear statement: he’s still the scorer he was before he ruptured his Achilles in 2019.
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal may be the one leading the league in points per game (34.9) but Durant isn’t far off, averaging 30.9 per game entering Brooklyn’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. To be exact, Durant scored 495 points in his first 16 games as a member of the Nets — so it didn’t take long for Durant to eclipse the 500-point mark on the season Tuesday.
When he did so, Durant tied for the second-fastest player to reach 500 points with a team in NBA history, per ESPN Stats & Info. The only one who reached the mark faster was Wilt Chamberlain with the Warriors in 1959-60 (14 games) — which means Durant is the fastest to reach 500 career points for the Nets.
FROM ELIAS: Kevin Durant reached 500 points with the Nets in just 17 games. That is tied for the 2nd-fastest a player has reached 500 points with a team in NBA history. Only Wilt Chamberlain did it faster with the Warriors in 1959-60 (14 games). pic.twitter.com/WpojGnZMic
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 3, 2021
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