Kevin Durant scored 29 points and Amen Thompson added 23 as the Houston Rockets defeated the Toronto Raptors 113-99 on Tuesday night.
Durant was highly efficient, making 12 of his 16 shots from the field while also grabbing seven rebounds. He did most of his damage early, scoring 22 points before halftime.
Thompson continued his recent scoring surge, surpassing the 20-point mark for the fifth time in the past six games. He shot 6-for-10 from the field and was perfect from the free-throw line, converting 10 attempts.
Jabari Smith Jr. also contributed 23 points for Houston, which moved into a tie for third place in the Western Conference standings. Alperen Sengun finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
The Rockets shot 60% in the opening quarter and held an early rebounding edge over Toronto. However, six Houston turnovers allowed the Raptors to keep pace, and the game was tied 29-29 at the end of the first period. Houston later closed the first half with a 14-4 run to build a 58-49 lead at the break.
Houston finished the night shooting 49% from the field and dominated on the glass, outrebounding Toronto 53-30. The Rockets also held a major advantage in second-chance scoring, producing 22 points compared with Toronto’s five.
RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 25 points, while Scottie Barnes added 24. Toronto struggled from long range, making just 9 of 36 shots from beyond the arc.
The loss trimmed Toronto’s advantage over the Orlando Magic for fifth place in the Eastern Conference to just half a game.
Up Next
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Raptors: Visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.
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Rockets: Travel to Denver to face the Nuggets on Wednesday night.
