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Durant Passes Jordan As Sheppard Passes PG Test

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports | By Jimmy Vik | Last updated Mar 22, 2026 10:35 AM ET

The Houston Rockets defeated the Miami Heat, 123-122, on Saturday night. It was a much-needed crunch-time victory for the Rockets, who have struggled in close games all season. It was also the game in which Rockets star Kevin Durant passed Michael Jordan for fifth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Finally, as if that wasn’t enough, it also saw the Rockets’ new starter, Reed Sheppard, dish out a career-high 14 assists.

Durant Passes Jordan As Sheppard Passes PG Test

The Rockets’ season has been a bumpy ride of late. They’re still a top-four seed in the Western Conference, but consecutive losses to the Los Angeles Lakers seemingly closed the door on the third seed for good. Most disconcertingly, the vibe on the bench has looked deflated. The Rockets’ win over the Heat should pump some air in and offer a significant morale boost.

After a back-and-forth game, the Rockets reclaimed the lead in the fourth and held onto it for much of the quarter. They did so with contributions across the roster. Six different Rockets contributed more than one basket during the period. The Rockets shot 66.7% from the field and 70% from three in that time.

How Durant Passed Jordan

It was during that stretch where Durant passed Jordan on the all-time scoring list. Durant had 27 points, three rebounds, and three assists for the game, including five three-pointers. The last of those threes took him over the top.

The Slim Reaper now has 32,294 points to Jordan’s 32,292. Next on the list is Kobe Bryant with 33,643. That’s a difference of 1,349. Durant has scored 1,723 points so far in 2025-26 and will likely pass Bryant in 2026-27. He might not even prompt a 24-hour “state of the NBA” news cycle when he does it, unlike Bam Adebayo.

The Rockets’ “Pass-First” PG

It was also during the fourth quarter where Sheppard had five of his 14 total assists. The Rockets’ offense has plenty of issues, including a team full of athletes being one of the slowest in the league. The biggest issue with their crunch-time offense has been the ball dying in the hands of Durant or Alperen Sengun. In Sengun’s case, especially, it’s led to some gruesome efficiency numbers.

The Rockets’ incredible shooting on Saturday may not be replicable, but the ball movement that contributed to it could be. All five of Sheppard’s fourth-quarter assists were for threes, including the one that took Durant past Jordan. He finished with 23 points, two rebounds, 14 assists, and four steals.

An Appropriately Problematic Houston Rockets Ending

Finally, to cap the game off in proper Rockets style, two things happened. First, the Rockets lost the lead with five seconds remaining. Then, the game winner that followed came off an offensive rebound.

Amen Thompson came swooping in for the put-back off of Durant’s missed jumper. The ball bounced off his hand with 0.3 seconds on the game clock and put the Rockets up by one. It was a fitting conclusion for a group that’s tied its identity to offensive rebounding all season long. Thompson ended with 24 points, 18 rebounds, and four assists.

The Last Word

One largely meaningless game in March hardly makes or breaks a season. Still, Rockets fans came away with more enthusiasm than one might expect. Their new starter was able to shepherd them home against one of the best-coached teams in the league. Unfortunately for Durant, a consequence of his nomadic NBA career is that, to Rockets fans, his record-breaking brilliance feels more like a footnote.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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