Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant

PHOENIX — Kevin Durant came back to Phoenix and lost to his old teammate. Afterward, he had only praise for the man who beat him.

The Phoenix Suns pulled off their biggest win of the season with a 102-99 upset of the Houston Rockets on Saturday night behind a monster fourth quarter from Devin Booker.

Durant's praise

Durant pointed to Booker's shotmaking even on a tough shooting night. "But look at his stats, 10-for-24, four turnovers, it's just those few late shots, and that's what he does," Durant said. "That's what he gets paid for. That's why he is a Hall of Famer."

The compliment carries weight. Durant and Booker were teammates for two and a half seasons in Phoenix and played together on Team USA. Booker has not yet been enshrined, and the label is Durant's opinion.

Booker's late takeover

Booker, who had 15 points on 6-for-17 shooting at that point, went on a 9-2 run by himself that won the game. He finished with a game-high 24.

Durant had a semi-open 3-pointer that could have tied the game with 10.6 seconds left but couldn't convert.

The result reversed an earlier meeting. On Jan. 5, Durant hit a 26-footer with 1.1 seconds left to beat the Suns 100-97. Durant had never lost in Phoenix since being traded to Houston in the summer of 2025.

Mutual respect

Booker returned the warmth. "I'm always going to embrace that friendship, that brotherhood, no matter what," Booker said.

Tough night for Durant

Durant finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 5-for-14 from the field and 1-for-7 from 3-point range, and made 10 of 11 free throws. Fans booed him during introductions and whenever he handled the ball, but he said he still misses the city.