{"id":495712,"date":"2026-02-28T14:00:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T14:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/495712\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T14:00:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T14:00:07","slug":"durant-has-perfect-reaction-to-monster-malonga-dunk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/495712\/","title":{"rendered":"Durant has perfect reaction to monster Malonga dunk"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kevin Durant<\/a> was in attendance alongside thousands of fans during the recent Unrivaled matchup between the Breeze and the Laces at the Sephora Arena in Miami, Florida<\/a>. Seattle Storm superstar Dominque Malonga, who finished the game with 21 points and ten rebounds, had an impressive running dunk with less than two seconds remaining in the first quarter.<\/p>\n

The 2025 draft\u2019s second overall pick received a cross-court pass from Paige Bueckers at the end of the arc before running inside the paint<\/a> and finishing it emphatically. The camera quickly pointed to a beaming Kevin Durant, who was clearly impressed by the finish, per a post<\/a> on X by ClutchPoints.<\/p>\n

DOMINIQUE MALONGA RUNS IN TRANSITION FOR THE DUNK \ud83d\ude24<\/p>\n

Kevin Durant was LOVING it! <\/p>\n

pic.twitter.com\/t7qVkyk2N1<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Considering KD\u2019s legacy and the fact that he only recently crossed 32,000 points in the NBA, Malonga was thrilled.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was great, I mean I didn\u2019t say anything to him but it felt really good. He went to shootout this morning so we chatted a little bit, so I am glad you could see that,\u201d she explained post-game per a clip<\/a> on YouTube by BRWSports.<\/p>\n

Regardless, Malonga finished on the losing side as the Laces pulled off a stunning 65-53 upset and now command a 2-0 lead in the head-to-head series. The Laces controlled the tempo from the opening tip, establishing a 24-18 lead in the first quarter and never looking back.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

They were propelled by a dominant, two-way masterclass from Brittney Sykes. Sykes posted a game-high double-double, filling the stat sheet with 25 points and 11 rebounds while shooting a highly efficient 10-for-18 from the field.<\/p>\n

She was complemented by steady offensive contributions from Jordin Canada and Jackie Young, who added 13 points apiece. Malonga recorded a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double, going 10-for-17 from the floor.<\/p>\n

Cameron Brink also put up 11 points and eight rebounds, but it wasn’t enough on the night. As a team, the Breeze shot an abysmal 17.6% from beyond the arc (3-for-17) and managed just 32.9% from the field overall.<\/p>\n

Bueckers endured a particularly frigid night, managing just two points on 1-for-8 shooting and finishing with a -6 plus-minus.<\/p>\n